Gabriel's Mark
by Liveforthedream
Summary: When a huntress with a secret is betrayed by one of her few trustees and thrown into the arms of the devil himself, it will take more than brains and strength to come out of this war unscathed. DracOC. Romance.Betrayal.Action.&.Adventure.
1. United In Their Grief

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

**This is my first fanfic so cut me a break. Reviews welcome. Constructive criticism will be well received. Flamers be warned; by insulting my work you have taken the time to read and review it and therefore I will be taking your insults as compliments. SO HA! Enjoy. **

Mere hours after the legendary and deciding battle of Gabriel Van Helsing and Vladislaus Dragulia, the vampire population of Eastern Europe was in a state of panic. The shadowed corners of the world held excited and terrifying news, their king had been killed, no…_slain_. Their master, protector, leader, and idol; had been reduced to an insignificant pile of ashes by a mere mortal. Some ignored the rumors all together, others burst into tears at the mere thought, but most remained still and silent as the news slowly sunk in.

Their king was gone.

It took hours for some, days for others, but slowly the shock and grief that gripped the undead occupants of the world turned into something much more dangerous, much more deadly. Rage. Fiery, burning, uncontrollable rage. An emotion that comes so natural to vampires that when it strikes it does not stop till every desire for retribution, everything lust for blood, and every thirst for vengeance, had been sated.

The months following Dracula's death were some of the darkest known to mankind. Night was not a safe time anymore. Strangers were not welcome to even the friendliest of places and everywhere death and fear seemed to walk.

Huge piles of bodies could be seen being burned in cities; full of corpses with the tell-tale duel bite marks on their bodies. Mortal families could no longer even have the comfort of a gravestone to weep over, now the only safe way to ensure their loved ones a place in heaven was in a ball of fire and smoke.

The Holy Order's darkest fears to coming to life, the vampires were uniting, and worse, multiplying quickly.

The Order had hoped that taking out Dracula would cease any future plans the Count may have had for bringing together his race; but now it seemed that with Dracula's death the Order may have inadvertently triggered the very thing they were hoping to avoid.

On the six-month anniversary of Dracula's demise, the remaining members of the Order gathered secretly in a dimly lit room far beneath the Vatican.

Most of their faces showed signs of stress, fatigue, and worry and even the newly initiated members of the Order had lost the twinkle of youth in their eyes, instead it was replaced with an everlasting look of unease and fear, much like a hunted animal that had momentarily escaped its pursuers.

There was silence in the chamber as the last of the hooded members arrived and slipped quietly into their seats at the great circular table which occupied the room. Soon everyone was seated and the door was barred from the outside with a loud _thud_.

The sound echoed in the room and no one so much as breathed as the Guardian rose and slowly lifted his cloudy grey eyes to scan the faces of the Order's remaining members. His gaze roamed from one face to another as he slowly looked into each's eyes as if looking into their soul. Finally, apparently satisfied which what he saw, the Guardian began to speak.

"You know why you all were summoned," he began, " I won't bore you with stories of the horrors that have swept over this land in the late months, nor do I wish to dwell of what could or might have been done in the past to avoid this. We are here to share what we do know and speculate on what we don't. Now, with that in mind, let us proceed.

Six months ago, one of our agents of the order, Gabriel Van Helsing infiltrated Dracula's Castle and managed to kill the Count. How, we still do not quite know seeing as how Van Helsing disappeared shortly after; but what is clear is that it is at that time that the first groups of vampires started to form together into some kind of cult. We believe they formed together at first to seek revenge for the death of their leader but since they couldn't find Van Helsing, they took out their anger on various villages, then towns, and now in the cities.

I don't know how they acted so quickly nor why this single act should be the one to unite them in their hate. But, however unintentionally, it seems we have started an all-out war with repercussions worse than death."

The Guardian stopped momentarily and looked pointedly at the empty seats around the table.

"Already many brave men have fought, many have died, and even more have been turned. But it seems these monster's numbers are multiplying too quickly. We need solutions and we need them fast if our race is to survive in this rapidly darkening world. Now, I have shared what I know, let me hear from you."

With this he sat down and man to his right quickly stood and said in a strong clear voice, "As Guardian Brookarius as said, the vampires have united-"

This sent a ripple of unease down the table

"-and we need to recognize this danger now. I recently returned from Romania and have seen that already huge numbers of newly turned vampires are running amuck in the major cities of Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca; the roads are not safe for people and residents cannot flee fast enough to outrun the wave of vampires. People are being bitten in the street and left for dead!" he stated, his voice getting slowly louder.

"They are not being burned fast enough and are waking up new from death hungry and uncontrolled!

Romania will quickly become an almost entirely vampire nation if we do not act soon and these retched spawns of Satan with surely spread into Bulgaria and Hungry. It is only a matter of time before we will be defending the Vatican walls! We must forget our petty differences for now and pull together as one to fight for mankind before it is too late!" he stated passionately and slammed his fist on the hard wood table, "Damnit we must act now!

He was breathing heavily by the end of his turn and glaring around the room as if daring anyone to argue with him. Quietly the man next to him reached up and lay a hand on his shoulder, saying a soft word of comfort while forcing him to sit back down in his chair.

Murmurs broke out around the table as everyone started speaking at once.

"Yes! We must act now!

"Hear hear! Before it is too late!

"And what of Van Helsing? Surely he will have answers!"

"To war I say!"

Another man stood and cleared his voice loudly before speaking, "Silence! We all agree that something must be done; I propose we send messengers to the neighboring kingdoms and warm them of the coming threat. We are strong in numbers for now and we must use that to our advantage by rallying together. We must stop this disease from spreading, but to do this I believe we must first speak with these new leaders of the vampires and see if we cannot reach some kind of compromise-"

Here his voice was drowned out by the uproar of opposition.

"Never!"

"Nay! They must be killed! It is the only way!

"We cannot allot them to continue spreading their terror!

"-Hear me out!" The man shouted and the room slowly and reluctantly quieted, "We cannot simply go in and kill everyone! We still out number them but if we march in with thousands of troops it will be like sending food to the wolf!

We will be slaughtered or worse! They won't simply kill our men; they'll bite them and turn them against us! How many members of the Order do you think reside within the vampire ranks? One? Two? Half a dozen?"

He looked around the room, "Now how many of you do you think could go out and kill your brother in arms, your comrade, your friend?" He asked, "I know many of you would rather die than compromise with these…things, but right now it appears we don't have a choice. There are too many of them and if they don't stop turning people we could be dealing with an epidemic.

He dropped his gaze, "I'm sorry, but it truly is our only option."

The room was silent for a moment after he sat down but was soon filled with the angry sound of men denying the inevitable.

"It cannot be!"

"There must be another way!"

"They cannot be allowed to live!"

"We have no choice! It is already too late!" the man suddenly thundered causing all to go silent, "It is already too late," he repeated softly, "There is a nation of the undead, we cannot fight them, they are immortal plus they will only feed off us. We'd be lucky if they simply remain in the area they already are.

Guardian Brookarius stood at this point and all eyes turned to look at the ancient man. Though he had lived through more than many men, he stood straight and tall even in his elderly state and had an aura of power and dignity about him that no man could deny. His robed fell gracefully to the floor and his eyes were still as piercing as they had been in his prime.

"Master Colins is right," he said, and for the first time in many years, looked his age. Tired and worn. "The only question remains is how we are to contain them. If their numbers continue to grow at this rate we are surely doomed. We need to find a way to convince these vampire _high lords_, as they are calling themselves, to end the changing of humans."

"We need to barter with something they want…although what, I do not know," Guardian Brookarius stated sounding slightly resigned.

The room was silent as everyone went deep into thought. Something these vampire high lords wanted, something they couldn't get on their owns…but what?

The silence was broken by one of the younger members, "I hate to be the one suggest such a thing, even to mention it is blasphemy but…" he hesitated.

"Spit it out boy!" another member snapped.

"WecouldasktheLordtobringDraculabacktolife!" he said very quickly stumbling over the words, "and in return" he continued in a shaky voice, "we could make them promise not to leave the boundaries of Romania."

The room was silent. Dead silent. To ask the Lord to bring Dracula back to life? The members felt the burn of hatred even at the mention of his name, but now. Would the Lord even agree to such a deal? Surely if it was their last hope…how could he refuse? Now, Dracula seemed to be their last hope to ending this war before the odds were too high, he was the last card up their sleeves and as unwilling as they were to play it; it seemed they were left without a choice.

"Arrange the meeting with the vampire high lords," Brookarius said quietly.

Every member in the room wanted to cry out in anger and pain and denial, but all were silent, they knew it was their last hope.

"As you wish Guardian Brookarius."

**Well that's all for now. Let me know what you think. Peace. **

_**P.S.- **_**If you think the story starts off slow, I apologize, it will develop more in the later chapters so stick around. **


	2. The High Lords

**Playing around with different plot twists…sometimes I wonder where this story is going…**

**In other news; back to the story: **

Eight months later, four cloaked and heavily armed men silently entered the back entrance to a shady tavern on the border of Bulgaria and Greece. Already the vampire influence had spread quick as wildfire far to the South, taking over much of Bulgaria and Serbia, leaving no place untouched.

The Carpathian Mountain range had served as a much needed buffer to the North, but it would not be long before these undead servants would make their way into Hungry and continuing into Europe. It was only a matter of time and with the vampire high lords slowly organizing and structuring the previously chaotic vampire army into a well-trained and disciplined fighting force, the Order was left with even less time than they had thought before.

But now, they had reason to hope. To hope, and to pray, that their plan would work.

The men entered the dimly lit back room and shook the fast melting snow from their hair and cloaks, pushing back their hoods to reveal Guardian Brookarius and four of his most trusted members of the Order.

Across the room stood four silent figures, watching the holy men with both amusement and dislike.

One of them stepped forward and pushed back his hood to reveal hair the color of gold and eyes like night, he was a tall man with a sturdy frame and the face of a warrior. Handsome and deadly, they described him as; _Lucus_, the youngest and rashest, of the three vampire high lords.

"Well well well," he drawled leisurely like a cat playing with a mouse, "I'm actually surprised you showed up. I was half expecting you to flee back home to your precious Vatican and hide behind your God. Or has he finally figured out you are a weak, lost cause and abandoned you?"

Erron, Brookarius's right-hand man, clenched his jaw in an effort to stop himself from stepping forward and whipping that insolent smirk off Lucus's face, but failed. Without another thought he had taken a step with murder in his eyes. How many men had Lucus killed? How many women raped, children slaughtered, villages burned, and lives destroyed? His mind flashed instantly to his wife and two of his children; viciously murdered in their home by order of Lucus.

"_He'll pay,"_ Erron thought, his hand halfway to his sword, his body bent and ready to spring and attack.

"Erron!" came a sharp command, immediately halting Erron in his thoughts. After all the work they had done to get this meeting, after all the effort gone into arranging this, had he really been ready to destroy all that without a second thought?

With effort he managed to calm himself, and turn back to Brookarius's piercing gaze, slowly dropping his arm from his sword and forcing himself not to surge forward and wring that monster's neck with his bare hands.

"That's not what we're here for," Brookarius said softly, "you know that."

Erron could only nod he was glaring at Lucus to intently.

Brookarius gave Erron a knowing glance and a comforting pat on the arm before turning his attention back to Lucus.

"We are not here to speak to mere underlings like you Lucus, where is Gavin and Rumus? We will only speak to your masters."

Lucus's temper flared, "You disrespectful insolent little mortal! How dare you-"

"Lucus that's enough!" came a sharp command from one of the other cloaked figures, the remaining three stepped forward but only two removed their hoods revealing the faces of Gavin, the eldest of the vampire lords, and Rumus, the middle of the vampire lords.

Gavin and Rumus were both tall like Lucus but the similarities ended there, both physically and personality-wise. Where Lucus was a muscular and physically imposing figure, both Gavin and Rumus were lean and swift looking.

Gavin with his reputation for seduction and mind games had looks in his advantage with a slightly androgynous face and sweeping dark brown hair that covered his ears and eyes the color of chestnuts and honey. He was said to be the fastest vampire to walk the earth but it was his mind that made him deadly. Cold, unfeeling and calculating, he had an appetite for playing with his food; a habit much to the amusement of his peers. He was granted the title of high lord by the fear of those beneath him and the respect of his equals. No one could truly say there was anyone above Gavin now that Dracula was gone.

Rumus on the other hand, could never be called one for deceit, it seemed in both life and death he maintain his sense of dignity and honor. Also with brown hair, though in a much lighter shade, Rumus was and would always be, a warrior with a heart of gold. Even if that heart had long since stopped beating. Lacking the brute power of Lucus, and the cold calculating mind of Gavin, Rumus killed with elegance and grace, it was a dance of death when people fought with him; one that he never lost. With eyes the color of cloudy skies, he had an uncanny ability of looking into people's souls, though he had long since given up looking into the boundless cold of vampire eyes.

Now, however, those stormy eyes met Brookarius's silver ones across the room.

"Let's just get this over with shall we?" he said smoothly walking more into the light and looking the holy men in the eye, "Why did you request an audience Brook? We long ago became deaf to pleas of mercy so if that's why you're here you've wasted your time."

"No," said Brookarius, also stepping forward, "We're not here to beg. That is one thing I can still say will never leave my lips. No, we're here to bargain."

"Bargain?" questioned Gavin, curiosity glittering in his eyes, "What could you possibly have to bargain with _us_? We are immortal, rich, renowned. We have women, treasure, land, anything we could ever possibly need or want. Tell me, for I am curious as to what you think you could possibly offer us."

Brookarius took a deep breath and then slowly began, "We realize we are on the verge of war. A war we will not come unscathed out of. Knowing this, our Order has come to the conclusion that we are willing to make certain _arrangements_ between our Lord and us that could be in your benefit were you willing to agree to our wishes."

"Tell us of these, _arrangmemts_," Lucus stated, enjoying the way the other members of the Order were shifting uneasily on their feet. He could smell their reluctance to be here and it made him all the more curious as to their _bargain_.

"In return for halting the turning of humans into vampires and keeping the rest of your race within the confines of Romania, the Holy Order would be willing to appeal to our God about allowing Dracula to walk the Earth again, for as long as he wants while he upholds to his promise," Brookarius stated, keeping his eyes locked with the three high lords.

His proposition was met with silence. Eerie, deafening, silence.

Gavin was the one that broke it. His laugh was slow, almost haunting in its softness, and Brookarius felt a chill run down his spine. Something was not right. Broookarius became even more convinced when Lucus joined in his laughter as, the loud demeaning sound of it echoing off the walls.

But perhaps the most frightening of all reactions, was Rumus's. He simply stood there with a sad small smile and a hint of something in his eyes. Brookarius could have sworn it was pity but didn't get the chance to find out when his attention was turned to the stranger that had kept to the back of the room, cloaked in the shadows with his hood up. Now a soft chuckle was emanating from the under the heavy cloak.

Slowly the stranger walked into the light and threw back his head revealing hair the color of ebony and eyes like sapphires. Twin golden hoops glinted in the light and the man reached up with his pinky to tuck a few rebellious strands of dark hair behind his ear.

"Looks like you're too late Brookarius," Dracula said softly, his teeth gleaming in the torch light to reveal pointed tips, "Someone else of your order has already made the generous offer to return me to the world of the living. And you know what? I accepted."

**Chow. **


	3. The Betrayal

**Back with a new chapter; so my plan is that I spend the weekend writing and then over the next week I'll update [hopefully a chapter a day. That's all for now; enjoy!**

The shock hit so hard Brookarius had to remind himself to breath. Dracula was _alive?_ How could that be? Someone else had returned him to the living? Someone? But who? The only other person besides the Guardian that was able to communicate directly with the Lord was…

Dracula smirked, watching as Brookarius slowly came to the realization that was the truth.

"Gabriel?" he whispered softly.

Dracula smirked and strolled over to another door connecting to a different part of the tavern. He opened it and spoke softly to someone on the other side. There was shuffling beyond the door and then the sound of something heavy hitting the floor. Brookarius watched in horror as Dracula returned to the room, another vampire behind him dragging the semi-conscious body of the Left Hand of God.

Brookarius felt his heart break into a million pieces, Gabriel was like a son to him. How could he do this to him? To the Order? To mankind?

"Gabriel…why?" Brookarius asked, his voice filled with so much pain and betrayal Gabriel could hardly bare to meet his gaze. Finally he lifted his dark-brown eyes to meet Brookarius's silver ones.

"For love," he said simply and let his head drop back down to his chest.

Dracula watched in absolutely glee at the scene that lay before him. Humans were so amusing with their petty wants and qualms, he'd almost forgotten how much fun it was to just sit back and watch. He motioned to the guard that was holding Gabriel to leave. The guard nodded and let go of Gabriel, immediately causing him to fall to the floor with a loud _thud._

Gabriel tried to rise, but gravity was just too much for him and his body was far from strong enough to fight it. So he lay there, feeling Brookarius's gaze burn a hole into his back before he was roughly hoisted to his feet by Lucus and forced one again to meet him mentor and friend's burning eyes.

Gabriel could see the glitter of tears in Brookarius's eyes and forced himself to speak, "I know you'll probably never forgive me, but please let me try to explain."

Brookarius could only nod.

Gabriel took and deep breath and began the recount of his tale.

_He walked alone down the dark streets of Paris, oblivious to the whip of the harsh winter winds on his chapped lips and the numbness that had slowly seeped through his wet boots. He didn't know where he was going; in fact he had no idea where he even was. It had been like this for weeks after Anna had died, this constant state of denial, pain, guilt, and regret. _

_It ate at Gabriel from the inside out and he could feel the effects of it already taking its toll on his body. He felt light-headed and hot even though it was freezing out side and the middle of winter. His skin was clammy and he was sweating beneath his clothes, but he didn't care. He didn't care about anything. All he wanted was Anna. All he needed was Anna. _

_But Anna was gone; the light of life had been taken from him. And now he welcomed the darkness as he slid down again a deserted alley wall. The last thing he saw was the snow blanketing his clothes before the darkness overtook him. _

_The light was bright, God it was bright! It blinded his eyes and made him want to turn away but Gabriel found he couldn't. As much as it hurt, it captivated him and he welcomed the warmth he felt seeping through his bones. He hadn't felt warmth since-…Anna. Immediately the comforting feeling of warmth disappeared and the cold came back._

_Suddenly Gabriel noticed a figure coming out of the light, no wait…the figure __**was**__ the light. It came closer until it stood right in front of Gabriel and Gabriel couldn't help but feel smaller in the presence of this majestic light. _

"_Why Gabriel?" the light asked, its voice gentle and comforting, "Why have you turned from the light? You have done so much for humanity; you should be proud and celebrating in your triumph. Not wasting away alone on the dark streets of Paris."_

_Gabriel wanted to scream and cry in his frustration. How could he not understand? He __**loved**__ Anna! And if he could not live with then at least he would be with her in death…_

"_Ahh," said the voice, "So you have a death wish. Gabriel, hear this, since you have lived your life in righteousness and only lost your love in the fight against evil, I will grant you your heart's desire. I will return Anna to you, but if you agree you must understand that if I am able to give one person in heaven life back from death, namely Anna, Satan will also be able to bring one being back from death."_

"_What!" Gabriel gasped, almost crying at the injustice of it all. _

"_There must always be a balance Gabriel, good and evil, right and wrong, day and night, love and hate. Without one the other cannot exist. So will you reap the benefits of this choice and face the consequences? Or shall I send you back to your empty alley way?" God asked softly, "It is your world. It is your choice."_

_Gabriel shut his eyes and let the enormity of this decision wash over him. Then he sighed, man may do as he wants but not want as he wants, and whispered softly, "Forgive me…yes."_

Gabriel finished his tale to the stunned silence of the room. Even Dracula had not heard the entire story before; it was quite beautiful in a foolish selfish sort of way.

"He returned Anna to me, and for that I will never regret my decision," Gabriel ended.

"Then where is Anna now?" Brookerius asked when he'd finally recovered his voice.

Gabriel's eyes lost most their feeling and his voice became monotone and slightly hushed, "She died in childbirth a couple days ago," he said softly, "That was the final blow; I realized it was just not in the stars for us to be together. I don't remember much after that. Only that when I woke up, I was a prisoner," he sighed, "it matters not though, there is only one thing on the world that matters now and I have done all I can to make sure it is kept safe. What happens to me…well I really don't care."

Brookarius's heart wept for Gabriel, for Anna, for himself, and for his men. Without their bargaining chip, all was lost…

"Now what?" he asked softly, not really expecting a reply.

Dracula's eyes flashed and he smiled slowly to reveal his elongated canines.

"Now," he whispered, "we feast to victory."

The last thing Broookarius remembered was as stunning blow to his chest and the sharp crack of his skull as it connected with the opposite wall. He could hear the sound of swords being drawn and then all was dark…

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: ok, only one more chapter and then the really good stuff can start. I plan on skipping a couple years into the future eventually…just setting the scene for the jump right now. But it'll be good. I promise. **

**Please review? I feel unloved…seriously. **


	4. All for love

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**Aww, I got my first two reviews today and I was so happy; they absolutely made.my.day. and I wanted to thank both Anon E. Mouse and Topgallant for their encouraging words. **

**I don't think there's a better feeling in the entire world than knowing someone enjoyed what you created. It's a good feeling; one I hope to repeat in the near future ; ) wink wink**

**Thanks to all you 'hits' on my story too; I know you're out there and you don't review but I hope you enjoy this anyway.**

**Now the story:**

The feeling of numbness slowly receded from Brookarius's body and the smell of fresh blood reached his senses. Immediately his eyes snapped open, Gabriel! Erron! A battle and no…his blurry gaze fell to the figures strewn on the floor. Puddles of crimson lay beneath them.

Unsteadily he pushed himself to his feet and looked over the room. It had been a short battle, and Brookarius could almost see how the battle played out and which vampire had killed each of his men. Thomas lay closest, a dagger straight to the throat, his eyes wide open and expressionless. _Precise and efficient; Gavin._

Tears filled Brookarius's eyes as he looked at the youngest of his chosen guard. Gently he reached out and shut Thomas's eyes.

Next he moved to Colins, the man whose plan had met with disaster, he lay on his back with his sword drawn as if he'd been given the opportunity to defend himself. A quick thrust straight into his heart and a twist had at least sparred him from at least some pain. _Honorable and merciful; Rumus._ Someone had already had the decency to shut Colins's dead eyes.

More tears slipped unnoticed out of Brookarius's eyes as he made his way to the next figure, Erron. Although it was hard to tell since his body had been so horrible mutilated. Purple and black bruises covered the entirety of his body and Brookarius could see bones of arms and ribs poking out of the corpse. His face and body had been beaten with a blunt object and his entire body was twisted in unnatural angles. _Raw power, strength, and malice.; Lucus. _

Brookarius whispered in a quiet, broken voice a heart-filled prayer for the souls of his fall comrades as he wept quietly for the men that had been like sons to him.

A soft noise coming from the back of the room suddenly snapped Brookarius out of his prayers. Cautiously he drew his sword and walked across the room to a small bundle on the floor. Bending down he pulled the top of the blanket away revealing a tiny baby. No more than a couple days old.

Brookarius was stunned. What in the world? Was this Gabriel's child? And if so, why did Dracula leave it here? What was he playing at? Thousands of questions raced through Brookarius's head as he gently sheathed his sword and lifted the tiny bundle into his arms.

"_A girl,"_ he thought, _"A little girl. With Anna's eyes…"_

As he stood studying the tiny child a letter slipped from the folds of her blanket and fluttered softly to the floor.

Curious, Brookarius gently shifted the bundle to one arm and bent down to pick up the letter. It was think parchment and the envelope bared Dracula's insignia. A dragon stamped in crimson wax. Quickly he broke the seal and began to read:

_Guardian Brookarius,_

_In accordance with my promise to Gabriel, here is his one and only child delivered safely into the hands of the Holy Order. _

_I have now fulfilled my duty and am no longer responsible for the health or welfare of this mortal child. It was Gabriel's last wish that she be left with you and in return Gabriel has agreed to be __**my**__ servant till the end of his mortal days._

_What you do it the child remains up to you. Leave her, love her, drown her, crown her. I care not; but I will warn you Brookarius. It is the dawn of darker times. Stay out of my way or you will regret the day you were born. _

_Sincerely, _

_Count Vladislaus Dragulia_

Brookarius dropped the note, too stunned to even react. His servant? Dracula's servant? Now the anger hit Brookarius, the pain and rage and betrayal. How could Gabriel do this! Was betraying him once not enough! After raising the Son of the Devil, the Spawn of Satan, Vlad the Impaler, from the depths of Hell, Gabriel would go so far as to swear him loyalty! Become his servant! The very thing the Holy Order's lives were spent fighting against! How could he do this! How could he-

His thoughts were cut short as the tiny bundle in his arms twisted and turned, trying to free herself from the confines of her blanket. Tiny fists rose in the air at Brookarius and soft giggles bubbled out of the infants lips as he gently unwrapped Gabriel's daughter. _"This is why,"_ Brookarius thought, his anger dissipating as he watched the child wake and squirm in his arms,_ "For love he said. All for love…" _

Brookarius sighed and began re-wrapping the child. It was cold outside and no place for a child but- the sight of something stopped Brookarius's train of thought. There. On her left wrist. It was almost like a burn or a birthmark of some kind. A tiny black 'V' was visible of her left wrist; the point facing outward and the ends wrapping around her little wrist to form something like a permanent bracelet…

"_Too many questions and too few answers,"_ Brookarius thought, _"but one thing is for sure," _he mused sadly looking down at the child, _"the world will not be safe for a child in the years to come; much less the child of a betrayer."_

Brookerius sighed, so much had happened in the last few hours. Men had died. Hope had been lost. Trust betrayed. And innocence marked. He could feel the fatigue slipping over him, even his emotions were drained. He had no more tears or rage. Only a resigned sense of sadness of what has been done and fear of what will soon come to past.

Securely tucking the child deep in his heavy traveling cloak and sheltering her fragile face he turned and headed to the door. Taking one last glance at his fallen comrades, he cuddled Gabriel's child closer to his chest, and stepped outside into the freezing snow.

**Yes, I know it's a short chapter but it's a REALLY IMPORTANT chapter and it's setting the stage for something big. Haha; cliff-hanger!! Love it. **

**I won't be updating till at least next week because I'll be writing all this weekend but REVIEW AND MAYBE I'LL GIVE YOU A TEASER.**

**Hope you're all well. **

**-Your Vigilant Servant **


	5. Fleur

**Hey guys! Ha, I know I said this wouldn't be up till Monday but what can I say, this chapter went really fast. **

**So FINALLY, Dracula is introduced into the storyline. I'm pretty excited.**

**Enjoy and review so I know what you think!**

**p.s. - ****Topgallant****: Thanks so much for the 'Satin' 'Satan' tip. I seriously don't know what I was thinking…**

**I always welcome grammatical corrections! Or when something doesn't make sense…any advice welcome : **

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_Fifty years later…_

The sound of metal striking metal filled the room and echoed off the high stone ceilings that covered the training arena. Two men circled each other - both armed, one hardly more than a boy, no older than his late teens, who was currently struggling to block and parry the quick and powerful blows his older mentor rained on him.

_Block. Parry. Sidestep. Jab. Sidestep. Block_. The deadly dance continued as the young man found it more and more difficult each time to block his opponent's moves.

With an expert twist of his wrist the swords master disarmed his student and had the fine blade of his sword pressed snuggly against the boy's neck before the disarmed weapon could even hit the ground.

"And that," he stated addressing the rest of his class that watched on eagerly, "is what you do when fighting a vampyrian. Disarm them and then a quick jab through the heart should be the end. The lesser vampires don't have the supernatural speed, strength, or immortality of their more pure blooded relatives. Although I will warn you, if I had been a pureblood vampire Tyler," he said addressing the still-panting young man he had been sparring with, "you would be long dead. Don't toy with the undead or you'll find your self in worse situations than this."

He dropped his sword arm and bowed to Tyler. "I do thank you though, for the much needed exercise. I feel I grow old within these walls sometimes but the feel of a good fight always seems to cheer me up."

Tyler bowed good-naturedly even though he knew his skills were far from what it would take to make swords master Leon break a sweat.

"You honor me with your words sir," Tyler replied as be bent down to retrieve his sword. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a lone figure leaning casually against one of the walls.

Tyler turned back to sword master Leon and nodded his head discreetly in the direction of the figure. "I believe you have a visitor Master," he said.

Master Leon turned to look and his mouth formed a slight grin. "Class dismissed," he said addressing his students, "I want each of you to practice your pivots and combination moves. I'll see you all tomorrow."

The class quickly left, being dismissed early from class was a rare treat indeed! Master Leon waited till the arena was completely empty before turning to his visitor. "I assume you've accepted another assignment seeing as how you never drop in simply to visit your old master. How long has it been Fleur? Two months? Three?"

"Four," came the reply as the figure finally pushed back her hood to reveal the slightly sun-speckled face and emerald cat-eyes. Dark chestnut hair could be seen pulled back into a think braid that reached past her shoulder blades and the gleam of gold reflected off a thick golden bracelet that adorned her wrist.

"Indeed. Who brings you here this time?" Leon asked, turning away as he began to clean up after his class.

Fleur smiled and following behind as Leon bent to pick up shields, axes, short swords, daggers, and all other manner of weaponry imaginable that had been left scattered about the floor.

"What? I can't simply drop in on my favorite teacher?" she asked sweetly.

Leon let out a bark of laughter. "Teacher? I see no teacher. No, to be a teacher one must actually _teach_ you something. When you arrived there was nothing you did not already know, although I shall never understand why you don't like fighting. Exhilarating activity it is," he said fondly, "And in answer to your question, no. I've never known you to just 'drop in'. Did Lord Conrad summon you?"

Fleur's expression darkened. "I work for no lord Leon, you know this," she said, scowling slightly, "So no, I was not _summoned_. I was **invited **to a private meeting with milord Conrad to discuss a certain vampire that has been eluding Conrad's border men for some time now. We both agree that I may be of some assistance in tracking him down. For a price of course."

"Of course," Leon mocked.

Fleur only shrugged. "I do what I can. Everyone needs a living. Beside's everyone knows I'm the best tracker around. That comes in handy when looking for work.

"I've never doubted your skills Fleur, in fact of anyone I think I should know them the best," he replied, stopping in his task to face her, "I only wish you wouldn't put your self in so much danger. No one here knows what you are yet, but if any one should find out—"

"Leon, I know how to take care of myself," she interrupted, "I've been tracking for eight years now and hiding who I am for the past twenty-six; I know what I'm doing."

Her eyes softened as she studied the older man. "Thank you though," she said softy dropping her voice a little as her gaze shifted to the floor in front of her. "Not many people are concerned for the welfare of a Betrayer. I don't know what I would have done without you over the last few years."

Leon wanted to embrace the troubled woman he had come to know as a daughter, but knew better. Fleur was not one to be touched.

Instead he smiled as her and said with all honestly, "It has been my pleasure Fleur. Truly it has. Now tell me of this vampire Conrad has called on you to hunt."

Fleur's spirit immediately returned and she grinned.

"From what I hear this hunt will be a good one," she began, "Apparently Conrad's men have been tracking him for over _six months_ and yet every time they get close he manages to slip away."

"I don't understand," Leon replied, leading Fleur over to a doorway and up the winding stairs, "Why are they so concerned with _this _vampire? Shouldn't they be more focused on guarding the border with the vampyrian kingdoms?" he asked.

"That's the problem, with most of Conrad's men busy guarding the border making sure no vampyrians slip through, they can't stop and go search every time one does manage to do it. Although I hear it's extremely hard, and usually they're caught soon enough, but this time is special," she said excitedly, "They're saying it's a high blood vampire. One of the few still alive."

"Highblood," Leon mused as they reached the top of the stairwell, "That means it has all its supernatural abilities right?"

"Exactly," Fleur replied walking beside him, "When a vampire turns a vampire, and then **that** vampire turns another vampire the strength of their powers is dramatically reduced each time."

"Their ability to control minds, move with blinding speed, super strength, immortality, and even transform into their beast form is eventually lost with each generation. The only qualities every vampyrian still retains is unfortunately, their lust for blood and fangs," she continued with a slight shudder, "and their dislike of sunlight although those with lesserblood won't turn to ash when exposed."

"Intriguing," Leon said turning a corner and leading Fleur down another hallway, "Have you specifically pinpointed at what generation they lose their demon powers?"

"There are estimates," Fleur replied, "We think it's somewhere around the forth or fifth generation but it's hard to tell since they live for so long. I'll probably get more details when I met with milord this evening."

Leon came to a stop in front of the doors to one of the castle's guestrooms. "Here we are. I suggest you clean up before meeting with the king. He's not especially fond of the smell of dirt and horse," he said with a grin.

Fleur laughed. "Well fortunately neither an I. No insult intended to my horse of course but I agree, I feel quite ready for a bath."

"Well then, I shall leave you to it," Leon replied with a low bow. "Good luck and be safe Fleur," he said and departed down the hallway to disappear around the corner.

Fleur smiled and opened the door to the castle guestroom. "_I shall try,"_ she thought and began to get ready for her bath.

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"_Damn all,"_ Fleur thought bitterly as she fought her way through the ragging January winds and snow.

Of course it **had **to blizzard today of all days. When they were **so **close! The hunting party had been on the trail of this vampire for over two weeks and now that they were so close it looked like they were going to lose him again.

Fleur turned around to look at the hunting party. Their faces were pink from the cold and icy stuck to every part of their bodies, and yet each shown with determination. The wind picked up with a sudden fury and Fleur's eyes stung as swirls of freezing snow danced around them.

"Fleur!" someone called from behind her. She turned around to spot the hunting party leader Damien pushing his way against the wind to stand beside her. "We have to stop Fleur! This blizzard is out of control and the men are going to freeze to death if we don't find shelter soon!"

"I know," Fleur replied pointing to a small hill in the distance, "there's a cave big enough for all of us to fit in at the top of that ridge."

"Sounds good," Damien said and turned back around to address the men. "Just a little further men! There's a cave at the top of that hill where we'll rest for the night!"

This announcement was met with cheers from the half dozen border soldiers that had been assignment to the vamp hunt.

Damien started hiking up towards the cave with Fleur right beside him. "Were we close to catching up with the vampire?" he asked.

"I believe so," she replied pulling her cloak tighter around her body, "If this damn storm hadn't hit I'm sure we would have caught him today."

Damien cursed but the sound was washed out by the howl of the wind. As they reached the crest of the hill Fleur pointed out a small crevice hidden in the side of the mountain.

"I know it looks small," she said seeing Damien's dubious look, "but once inside the cavern opens up. It's actually a quite spacious rest stop."

"Let's hope so," he retorted as they headed towards it. Fleur went first and squeezed through the narrow crack. The darkness seemed smothering but Fleur quickly pushed the feeling of panic back. Now was not the time or place. Fortunately the passage widened after walking a couple feet in and revealed a huge echoing cavern. Stalagmites protruded from the ceiling and the sound of quietly dripping water could be heard softly reverberating off the walls.

Damien emerged from the tunnel behind her and whistled. "Impressive," he said shooting her a grin and then stepped past her to begin setting up camp.

Fleur stood there for a second debating running back outside to the fresh air and open sky. God how she hated caves! Again she pushed the threatening feeling of hysteria down and tried to calm her nerves by helping Damien start a raging fire in the middle of the cavern.

The rest of the hunting group soon filed in and set about preparing camp. The crackle of a healthy fire was soon going and the smell of dinner drifted seductively through the air.

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Far above, hidden by the shadows of the looming stalagmites a lone vampire watched in amusement at the mortals settling around the campfire. "_How delicious,"_ he thought, his sapphire eyes glistening in hunger.

He watched as one of them – a woman, separated from the group and settled down a little ways away. Moving silently, he crawled closer, curious about this tracker that had been a constant pain in his side for the past two weeks. He watched as she pulled a thick cloak around her form and leaned back against the rock wall preparing for sleep.

"_Too easy,"_ he though, laughing silently and moving closer and closer to her resting form. He could smell the alluring scent of her warm blood and his canines elongated at the thought of sinking them into the warm flesh of her neck.

He could have her sucked dry before anyone even noticed. A movement to his right caused the vampire to freeze and then he mentally cursed as a man walked away from the fire and over to his intended pray.

Softly bending down, the man reached to pick the sleeping form up, but was rudely thrown back when she jerked awake and slammed her heel into his chest.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded, her hand hovering over the dagger stuck in her boot.

"I was just going to bring you back over to the fire," the man responded rubbing his chest where she had slammed him. "We have a good fire going, plenty of space, and yet you choose to sleep in a cold corner?"

The woman's hand relaxed over her knife. "Oh," she said, feeling a little flustered. "I know, I just, well…I—

"Why don't you trust us?" he asked bluntly, starring her in the face,

"What?" she asked, taken back. "I trust you! Do you think I would travel some remote barren woods with seven men if I didn't trust them?" she asked.

"If you trust us," he asked, "why don't you **ever** make camp near us? Or tell us about your self? Jesus Fleur, this is my third hunt with you and I don't even know your last name! Plus you flinch every time someone touches you—"

"I do not!" the woman called Fleur interrupted.

"Yes, you do," the man argued and just to prove his point he reached out and gently cupped her check in his hand. Dracula observed in amusement as the woman's heart beat increased ten-fold. He watched impressed as she suppressed the urge to jump away from his touch and instead just glared at the man with diffidence sparkling in her emerald eyes.

The man smiled ruefully as he rubbed his thumb gently over his check. "You just have to prove me wrong don't you?" he asked softly.

"Yes," she answered, still uncomfortable with his hand on her face, "now would you mind removing your hand?'

"In a second; it's nice to be around you without feeling like you either fear me or hate me."

The woman's eyes softened and she turned her head away from his hand. "I don't hate you Damien, or fear you; god you're one of the few people I actually feel semi-comfortable around. I'm just very…careful when it comes to people I can trust. Ok?" she asked hoping he would understand.

The man dropped his hand and nodded. "Will you come over to the fire then?" he asked, hope in his eyes.

The woman sat for a second as if considering the options, and then rose gracefully to her feet and held out her hand. "I'm sorry I kicked you, but you really should know better than to sneak up on me," she said smiling.

The man grinned. "No kidding," he said, accepting her hand, "I consider myself lucky you didn't skewer me with those nasty daggers of yours."

"What? My little knives?" she asked innocently while privately envisioning the twin eight-inched jagged daggers that were tucked into each of her boots.

"_Little knives my ass,"_ Dracula heard the man think as he shook his head and led the woman back over to the warmth of the fire.

Dracula scowled as he walked the couple walk away. _"There goes my dinner, curious woman though,"_ he thought considering his options. He needed to feed, tonight, but if he tried to take her now her companions were sure to wake up. "_**Or**__," _he thought, the gears in his mind spinning, "_I just attack the entire group, drink my share, maybe spare woman. Pretty little thing she was…_" he grinned, "_perhaps I'll make her my pet. It's been __**forever **__since I had some amusement and she's ensured to be interesting._"

Dracula nodded in satisfaction. Yes, he liked that plan. Now all there was to do was to decide how to go about taking out those damned soldiers.

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**Woah long chapter…Do you like where this is going?**

**REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW!!**

**Mmhhh, I love writing on Saturday mornings…**

P.S.- In case any of you are wondering, no I didn't take 'Fleur' from Rowling's annoying twit character. I've honestly always liked that name...she made me sad when she gave it to such an unlikable chacter...


	6. Protege'

**Hey guys! New chapter up and ready for your responses. I had a really hard time deciding which way I wanted the story to go from here but I think this way works. **

**In other news 206 HITS, awesome. 6 REVIEWS; could be better but I'm happy I haven't gotten a flame yet. Thanks to all those who took the time to review! You inspire me!**

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It wasn't long before the sound of even breathing and slow heartbeats fill the cavern. Conversation had come to an end and the fire slowly died down till the only remains were the steady glow of the embers and the hint of warmth that drifted through the air.

The last man was just getting ready to crawl into his bed roll when he thought he heard the sound of flapping wings. Startled, he turned quickly turned to scan the seemingly empty cavern.

The orange glow emanated from the coals cast long dark shadows along the wall of the cavern and made the dim figures dance to a ghostly tune as mortal eyes scanned for any sign of life. Nothing stirred.

The man gripped the hilt of his sword tightly searching the vast emptiness for the source of the sound. _"Just the wind outside,"_ he thought, chiding himself for being foolish and making his grip relax on the pommel of the sword as he continuing to get ready for bed. But the nagging prickle on the back of his neck didn't go away. "_Something's not right…" _he managed to think before he was abruptly yanked off his feet into the darkness above.

The man didn't even have a chance to scream before the demon sunk his sharpened fangs into the man's jugular and his life flashed before him in a stream of crimson and pain.

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A shiver ran through Dracula as the fresh blood slowly warmed his cold body. He could actually _feel_ as the life giving substance ran down his neck and into his chest before spreading out towards his finger tips and toes. Long after the man had long consciousness and his heart beat stopped Dracula continued to feed. It had been a long time indeed since he got human blood that had not been artificially warmed. _Fresh from the source_ he liked to think, and all the more potent and sweet.

Finally finished, Dracula unlatched his jaws from his victim's neck and used the man's shirt to wipe his mouth before carefully floating to the ground and setting the corpse quietly down so as not to wake the mortals. Soundlessly he made his way around the camp, carefully delving into each's subconscious mind looking thoughtfully for the qualities he sought. _Too weak. Too stupid. Too untrustworthy_ were his thought as he passed each man. This was a choice that called for selectivity and he would **not **settle for something less.

Something in one of the man's minds made Dracula pause in his ministrations. "_Strong body and mind,"_ he thought, but then smiled as he found something else, "_ambition, and fear. The need to feel respected, admired, and powerful. __**This**__ was a man he could work will,_" Dracula thought taking a closer look at the sleeping form.

_"Tall; but then again so are all my other high lords,"_ his eyes carefully taking in long figure with calloused hands and scarred forearms. The man had dark chestnut hair with tints of red and copper through in throughout it. A taint scar to the left of his eye gave his face an appearance of danger but the crinkles around the mouth told Dracula he enjoyed life as well as fought for it. _Perfect, who could be more willing to have everlasting life, _or death_, than one who enjoys it the most?_

It seemed this cave was filled with pleasing surprises for Dracula. "_Now his search was over, he could return home, __**and,**__"_ he thought throwing a glace across the fire to the curvy figure huddled under a blanket, "_bring back some entertainment." _

Perfect. Deeply pleased with himself, Dracula bent over the sleeping figure and began whispering the seductive promises of eternal life, the alluring prospect of power and position, and the never ending appeal of all the benefits he had to offer. "_The only thing I ask in return is obedience,"_ he whispered into the mortal's mind, feeling the man's resistance weaken the more he spoke. "_You need only say the word, and everything could be __**yours.**__ Everything and more. Forever. I only ask that you obey me, and I only wait for your response," _he finished, pausing and then smiling maliciously with his fangs bared as he heard the mortal's mind scream _Yes!_

So simple. So predictable. "_Very well,"_ he replied, "_Wake now and we shall see just how well you obey."_

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Darkness. It haunted and chased her everything sleeping moment. Filled with memories of the cold and the feeling of utter loneliness that seemed to emerge as light faded, darkness was her enemy and she was losing to it. She could smell blood and hear the screams of the helpless prisoners around her as her heart beat faster and faster but she couldn't see anything, she couldn't help anyone. She was alone.

Suddenly a rough shaking motion jerked Fleur out of her dream world and caused her to sit up gasping. Cold sweat dripped down her back and her still disoriented mind tried desperately to focus on what was real and what was still part of the illusions that haunted her. Damien sat crouched in front of her, his arm still on her shoulder from when he had saved her from her nightmare and his face a deathly pale.

"Are you alright?" he asked, frowning at her and a look of genuine concern written on his face.

Fleur took a deep breath as her reeling mind comprehended the silent cave and motionless figures of the still-sleeping men. She lay her head gently against her bent knees fighting to calm her heart and stop shaking. The dreams always came, but rarely were they so clear, so horrifying, so _real_. It was just a cave, she told herself over and over again. Just a cave.

Slowly her heart returned to its normal pace and she raised her head nodding to Damien's question. "Yes," she managed, her voice still a little shaky, "I'm okay now." She looked up and felt the heat rise to her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she said, "I didn't mean to wake you—"

She abruptly stopped talking. The man across the fire…his eyes were open and a thin dribble of crimson was dripping from his mouth… Her entire body stiffened again. Unfortunately Damien noticed and followed her gaze to the gapping corpse. "A shame." he whispered before turning back around and looking into her eyes. His own eyes were no longer filled with the look of warmth that she new him so well for, but instead with a predatory gleam in them that chilled Fleur to her bone. His gaze seemed to flare for a second as he eyed her exposed neck. He grinned, uncovering twin fangs still stained in fresh blood, as he bent his head closer to her and whispered, "A shame he died so fast."

The spell broke and Fleur jumped to her feet, drawing her knife is a in a single blinding movement. But mortal speed was no match to a vampire; even a newly turned one. He reached out and grabbed her by her throat, effectively slamming her back against the wall and hitting her head so hard her vision blurred for a moment and her knife tumbled out of her limp fingers.

Fleur could feel his iron grip cutting off her air supply and she clawed desperately at his hand with her nails, but to no avail. He only tightened his hold as he looked down at her in _amusement_? "_Bastard,"_ was her last thought before she lost consciousness and slid down the wall in a heap as Damien released her.

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Damien stared down at the unconscious woman before switching his focus to his hands. He stared at them, they looked no different but he could _feel_ the power pumping through them. He could taste the sweet lingering flavor of blood on his lips and he could hear the call of the woman's heartbeat. "_So strong,"_ he thought, licking his lips and taking a step forward, "_she would have sweet blood. Sweet and strong._"

"_Damien!"_ a voice rang in his head and Damien snapped out of the bloodlust. He immediately turned to face his new master as Dracula emerged form the shadows and came to stand in front of him.

"Very good," he complimented. He was pleased indeed! Dracula knew this man had the makings of a good vampire in him the moment he'd entered his mind. But now those assumptions proved only to be the tip of the iceberg. The man killed silently, efficiently, with the skill of Gavin but the unholy bloodlust of Lucas. He _liked_ the kill. He _craved _it. The way he had followed Dracula's orders **exactly**, and taken each member of the hunting party out one by one with an instinct he seemed to come by naturally had both impressed and surprised the vampire lord.

"Your first kill, or should I say _kills,_ were very impressive Damien," the ancient vampire praised, "But that is enough blood for tonight, if you drink too much your first time you'll be sick." Dracula caught sight of the huntress laying sprawled on the flood and he felt his temper strain. New vampires were **so troublesome** on their first kill. "Did I not specifically tell you I wanted her unharmed!" he roared making Damien cower in a fear he hadn't known existed.

"Yes master I know but—" Damien tried to explain.

"But what?" he demanded, his eyes glowing a demonic red.

"She was having a nightmare," he explained hurriedly, "she was tossing in her sleep and it was only a matter of time before she woke and saw for herself. I didn't know what to do so I just…" what had he done? Damien let his gaze roam over Fleur. Her fists were clutched even in her unconscious state and her hair was falling out of her braid, already the blue and black bruises around her neck could be seen appearing. Damien took all this in as a wave of guilt washed over him, he hadn't felt anything as he sucked the life out of the men, but when it came to Fleur…god he'd spent so long trying to get her to trust him!

His thoughts were interrupted when a sharp pain shot through his head as Dracula smacked him hard on the back of the skull.

"Idiot!" Dracula said his anger receding only to be replaced with exasperation. Even Lucas had had the common sense not to _smash a hostage against a cave wall_! "Did you not think to wait till I returned so I could simply put her in a _trace_ instead of a **coma**!" he demanded. This was the **last** time he left a new vamp alone simply so he could feed in privacy.

Damien only shook his head and murmured a quiet "no master".

Dracula sighed. "Very well. What's done is done, grab her and her things," he said turning away and heading to the entrance, "as much as I love the smell of fresh blood, rotting corpses is not my preference. We'll find a different place to sleep for the day."

Damien bowed respectfully and then quickly collected Fleur's gear. A small pack of clothes, some food, and her heavy riding cloak were all her worldly possessions except her daggers which Damien specifically left behind. She wouldn't be needing _those _would she? Gently Damien draped the heavy cloak over Fleur, fastening it securely together in the front with a golden broach and pulling the hood completely up covering her head. Next he slipped her pack over his back and lifted her into his arms. "_Funny_," he thought, shifting her weight, "_she feels like she weights no more than a child_." Experimentally he held her entire body in one arm, and was astonished to find he felt next to no strain in his muscles.

Truly these newly acquired powers were a gift, sent from heaven or hell Damien didn't know or care so long as they served him well.

Walking swiftly he stepped outside the cave to find Dracula waiting impatiently. Dracula raised his eyebrow at the gentle and almost _careful_ way his newest protégé handled the huntress. "_So he cares for her,"_ he thought, smirking inwardly at the thought, "_well that will change soon enough."_

"Watch carefully and then follow me," Dracula commanded, his form shimmering into something much bigger and much deadlier, "and you will just how _changed_ you really are."

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**Just in case you're all wondering this IS a Dracula/OC romance, it's just warming up. So cliffhanger. Who doesn't **_**love **_**a cliffhanger? **

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	7. Mine

**Back! I ****love**** three day weekends; God's gift to stressed out women everywhere. I'm hoping you all enjoyed the last chapter and I'd like to give a little shout out to ForverACharmedOne for the one of the nicest reviews I've yet to receive. I've also got to thank cheryljulia, Elwyndra, and topgallant for continuously leaving wonderful reviews and everyone else who's been nice enough to comment on the story so far. **

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"_This isn't so hard,"_ Damien scoffed, touching down onto a secluded ridge far up in the mountains and expertly shimmering back into his human form. It was obvious indeed this once mortal man had a knack for vampirism. Already his master had started schooling him on the basic principals of his new found power, and much to his master's pleasure, he had picked most things up immediately. Damien could now partially and fully transform into his beast form; a skill he both loved for the power it invoked and distained for the terrifying appearance that came with it.

"_Although,"_ he thought, shifting his still unconscious bundle in his arms as he followed his master into their new resting spot, _"fear certainly has its advantages."_ Nothing in Damien's previous life had ever sent such a feeling of raw control through his veins than when he'd soared over a small village and had the pleasure of watching the townsmen run in fear at the shadows of the _vhampyrs_.

"_Mortals,"_ he thought, but then caught himself; had it not been him only yesterday that would have jumped to his feet at the alarm of a highblood vampire sighting? It seemed liked years instead of hours ago.

"Damien stop dwindling!" the impatient voice of Dracula commanded, snapping Damien effectively out of his thoughts. Already Damien was beginning to understand the ever complex mind of his new master. The master was sarcastic and condescending to those beneath him, but could switch to nonchalant and downright _charming_ at a whim. His temper was something to be avoided at all costs and to be feared should you be the unlucky soul it was released upon.

Damien could only pray he never pushed Dracula to that point, for it was one he guessed few came back alive from.

Damien paused for a second at the mouth of the small cave and gazed at the ever lightening sky. The new layer of virgin snow that littered the ground was the only remains of the furious blizzard that had raged but earlier that night. Light was beginning to seep from the horizon and as it shone brilliantly off the crystal flakes Damien felt his eyes drooping and his sight becoming more and more sensitive. Sensing dawn was almost upon him Damien hustled inside the cave and let a long sigh out as he seeped in the cool frosty air. _Had he ever felt so vivacious?_

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Dracula turned as he sensed Damien enter the cave. Wanting to examine his prize more closely, Dracula walked up to Damien and calmly held out his hands. "The girl, if you please," he said without preamble.

Damien hesitated, although even he was not completely sure why, before slipping the huntress into Dracula's waiting arms. Finally able to get a proper look Dracula took his time taking in the woman's features. Dark silky hair fell softly over one side of her face as she unconsciously shifted in his arms moving towards the warmth of his body. Every inch of her was covered in a light leather armor that went from the top of her neck all the way down to her ankles. Even her hands were covered with thick brown leather gloves.

The only part of her uncovered, he noticed with a grin, was her face and her feet. Obviously Damien had over looked the fact that she didn't sleep with her shoes on when he picked her up. Her skin was a dusky golden tan that spoke of warmer climates and days spent in the sun. Dracula could see where Damien had bruised her though, blue and black marks peeking out from the top of her high collared armor.

Gently he lay his hand along her neck, ignoring how she flinched in her sleep and moved slightly away, as he slowly circled the skin with his thumb, lightly applying pressure and allowing his healing powers to seep into her injured neck. The bruises quickly disappeared and Dracula moved on to the substantial lump she had on the back of her head from where Damien had slammed her against the cave wall. He repeated the process, much to the awe of Damien who had been watching him with open envy, before moving on and lightly laying his palm across her eyes as he fell into concentration.

Finally Dracula seemed satisfied and, on seeing Damien's questioning gaze, explained, "We don't need her waking up while we're resting do we now? No, I've arranged it so she'll sleep a while yet."

Damien reached out to take Fleur back but Dracula only shifted her before turning away. "I will be watching her tonight Damien," he said.

Dracula sensed Damien's frown and turned back momentarily to face him. "Explain something to me my young vampire," he asked making Damien meet his azure gaze, "you slaughtered your men without a thought, betrayed your family and kingdom in an instant, and yet you are protective of the little huntress. Why is that Damien?"

"Fleur," he said.

"Excuse me," responded Dracula, raising an elegant eyebrow.

"Her name, it's Fleur. And to be honest with you master, I don't rightfully know why I feel this way," answered Damien, his brow knotted in thought as he struggled to find the exact source of his emotions.

"I suppose," he started slowly, as thought struggling to find a way to put it into words, "It's because when I gave up my country and my race, my family and my men, they were things I had already had. I knew what I was giving up; I weighed the options and found mortality to be lacking when compared with the alternative. But with Fleur…well I suppose you can't give up something you've never had. Be tired of a flavor you've yet to taste. Trade away an object when you don't know its value. I know it sounds confusing, but she is a mystery to me I have yet to satisfy my curiosity of. It is not who she is or what she looks like that interests me, although I will admit when I first saw her she caught my attention, but really it is the fact that I have **never** been around someone so long and yet known them so little." He shrugged. "In the end I suppose it's simple curiousity and fleeting attraction that effect me so. I hope you can accept that answer master, because it is the best one I have."

Dracula was silent for a second taking in all that Damien had said before he responded. "Very well. But," he said, his eyes narrowing, "You will accept that the huntress is **mine.** I will do with her as I please, and it would behoove you to forget about your curiosity and forget about **her**. Find another mystery to peruse, this one I claim as my own. Is that understood?"

Damien nodded obediently, as much as he liked what little he knew about the tracker, he was not willing to put his undead soul of the line for her…_although_ he was still very curious, and he was surprised to feel a little guilty about being the one to betray her. Trust was such a burdensome concept.

"Very good," Dracula responded, "Now get some sleep; we gave a long flight ahead of us tomorrow. We will be meeting the rest of my highbloods at Bucharest in two days time and I hate being late."

With that he turned away and effortlessly began walking straight up the cave wall with Fleur resting limply against his chest. The ability to control the direction of gravity had always fascinated Damien and he watched closely as Dracula walked across the ceiling as easily as if it had been the floor. Even Fleur seemed to be caught in his power since her hair continued to fall softly down her shoulders. Damien moved a ways off before finding his own sleeping place, one of the first things Dracula had told him was that he slept alone and ate alone; with the obvious exceptions of his bed companions and his victims, or sometimes both at the same time.

Dracula found a suitable resting place in the deepest reach of the cave and hung calmly upside down as his brain gradually slowed preparing for sleep. The huntress squirmed in his arms and Dracula glanced down. Little puffs of air were appearing each time she exhaled into the still frosty morning air and Dracula realized she was shivering in her sleep. Damn Damien for not grabbing her shoes! Dracula quickly unbuttoned his outer cloak and slipped her in up against his still warm body. He probably wouldn't stay warm too long, he thought absently, the stolen blood would cool off in a matter of hours; but for now he smiled cockily as Fleur tucked her cold feet in between his calves and molded her curvy form up against his body. Dracula shut his eyes for a second savoring the contact.

He could _defiantly _get use to being wrapped up in this little hunter. How long had it been since he felt the beating heart of another against his chest? At least forty years…far too long for his peace of mind. Dracula smirked; it was only a matter of time before she would be his. He would make sure of it. _Patience,_ he told himself, forcing his body to calm. He would wait till he got to Bucharest _then_ he would seduce her mind…or break her will. In either case, she would be his.

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**PLEASE REVIEW READERS! I KNOW YOU 'HITS' ARE OUT THERE!!!**

I Havn't Decided What the Hell to Sign my Author Notes as…

Don't worry, it'll come to me in time. Plus it'll probably be very cheesy and over done, like all great authors….maybe something like "Black Lung"….LOL.

**P.S.- I know this chapter is short so I'll probably be uplaoding agian very soon. Chow. **


	8. Awakening

**Hehe, 14 REVIEWS! I'm thrilled, also special shout out to Topgallant who recently returned from her trip. Glad you're back. And another special shout out to VintageLyre who is my newest reviewer. AND THANKS TO ALL YOU GUYS WHO ALREADY REVIEWED AND EXPESIALLY TO THOSE WHO KEEP COMEING BACK!! **

**I was very happy with the responded to the last chapter and hope you'll all continue to enjoy the story. Ok, FLEUR FINALLY MEETS DRACULA! **

**Enjoy. **

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Only few minutes before sunset Dracula frowned in displeasure as the pounding in his ears continuously got faster and louder. _Thump, thump, thump. _He squeezed his eyes shut trying to block it out but failed and was jerked even more awake as the figure in him arms struggled in her sleep. Angrily Dracula snapped his cerulean eyes open, the unmasked annoyance sparkling within their depths as he shifted his wings to get a better look at the cause of his disturbance.

Fleur's arms were wrapped securely around her middle, her fists clenched, and eyes screwed shut. Dracula could feel her heart beating madly with her chest and her breasts were rising rapidly as she breathed in short uneven gasps of air. Dracula sighed, his eyes losing some of their intenseness, as he reached of with one of his hand and gently smoothed back a few loose strands of hair that had escaped her disheveled braid. The second he made contact with her face however she shrunk back and released a faint whimper filled with what could have been terror.

Funny, he thought, she didn't seem like the fearful type. What scared the kind of woman who tracked vampires for a living? Dracula brushed the question aside and realized what Damien had been talking about when he called her a mystery. "_Well_," he thought, "_we shall have plenty of time to get to know each other won't we little hunter?"_

He smiled but it quickly faded as Fleur's struggles became more and more strained; damnit she was going to wake any second now! Too late.

Fleur jerked awake, her emerald eyes flashing confusion and fear. Dracula watched in absolute glee as her eyes quickly came in to focus first on his face, and next on his wing which were still wrapped tightly around them. Her face visibly paled as she realized her position.

With a speed and cool mindedness Dracula would have appreciated in any other situation she slammed her knee unceremoniously up into his groin causing him to keel over in pain and lose his grip on her.

Fleur suddenly found herself plummeting headfirst downwards. Too late she realized just _where_ she had been sleeping. Her mind deciding in a split second that if she didn't do _something_ fast she would probably effectively snap her spin, she twisted her body and managed to at least get her feet under her.

The second she hit the ground Fleur threw herself to one side in a roll using physics to throw off the full force of impact. Although she executed the move perfectly, no one escaped falling almost thirty feet without some repercussions. She landed on her back, agony shooting up the leg and shoulder she had landed on as she gasped desperately for air.

"_That vampire,"_ she thought, her jaw clenching in pain, "_I've seen him before. Oh god, where am I? And what happened to Damien? What's happening?!_" Her mind thought desperately. She jerked again as she felt the _thump_ of something landing next to her. She forced herself to open her eyes even though her vision was blurry.

A demon with the body of a man dressed in a black military style outfit glared down at her with vengeance. Fleur felt her self involuntarily flinch under his gaze. His long ebony hair gave him an aristocratic appearance and was pulled back in a golden clip leaving only a few rebellious locks to frame his face. Pearly white fangs glistened in the evening dusk, but it was his eyes that scared Fleur, they were glowing an eerie electric blue that emanated power and danger.

Fleur realized in an instant that he would kill her without a second thought or glance and that he was probably capable of doing it without breaking a sweat. Her eyes darted around the cave, she could feel that her weapons had been removed from her person and there wasn't even anything around her that she could defend herself with. She could feel the familiar feeling of panic rising but this time she couldn't push it back down, this time there really was something to fear.

She began crawling backwards, her gaze seemingly trapped within his eyes as she scooted farther and farther away, the vampire slowly stepping forward with each movement, until her back hit the wall.

The demon kept coming closer even after she had stopped and Fleur shut her eyes tightly, looking away and breaking his glowing gaze. She would not cry, she promised herself, she would not beg, she would **not **scream. Her body braced for the feeling of fangs or talons yet they never came.

"Master!" came a voice and Fleur jerked her head up to see the tall dark haired man she had once called a friend striding towards her. She felt unbidden tears sting her eyes as she realized no matter how much she denied it, she **had **trusted this man. She forced herself to look away back at the black haired vampire. Fleur was relived to find his eyes no longer pulsing with malice, in fact a slight grin was on his face as he met her gaze, his fang retracted to reveal strangely normal, if not a little pointy, teeth. Fleur shivered, she almost preferred the fangs to his chilling smirk…almost.

"Fleur?" came the hesitant question and Fleur jerked her head back to gaze into Damien's brown eyes.

Damien could have flinched himself as the look of fear and confusion turned into a deathly glare of boundless hatred, betrayal, and disgust. Luckily he managed to steel himself, his face remaining stony and emotionless. Already the vampire in him becoming more and more pronounce with each passing moment.

Fleur could have cried, but she chose anger instead and let the rage overcome her grief. She eyed both vampires cautiously as she struggled to her feet by leaning heavily on the cavern wall. Her right ankle and shoulder throbbed with pain and Fleur felt a drip of sweat slid down the back of her neck as she fought back a wave of nausea.

"Well well well," the black haired vampire taunted, his eyes never wavering as she shoot him a piercing look, "it seems you have more back bone than I gave you credit for little hunter. I was fully prepared to have to mend every bone in your body after that little fall you took. One of the first things you will soon realize girl," his said, taking a step forward and his eyes flashing, "is that one; it is unwise to attack a vampire, and two," he continued, grabbing the front of Fleur's tunic and yanking her up onto her toes, "it is **beyond** unwise to attack **me**."

Fleur struggled not to look away under his intimidating gaze and spat back at him, "I do **not** fear the likes of _you_!" Her body continued to pulse agony as he held her there, studying her like an interesting bug or a new dress.

"_We shall see,"_ he thought as he came to a conclusion. He dropped Fleur, nearly sending her bucking to the floor, and took a calm step back bowing dramatically to her.

When he straightened, his face was one of a charm and grace, all signs of danger and malice had seeming disappeared; for now.

"Allow me to formally introduce my self. I am Vladislaus Dragulia, now more commonly known as Count Dracula, the spawn of Satan, the son of the Devil, etcetera etcetera; but _you_ will address me as master or my lord. Have I made myself clear little huntress?

What little color the tracker seemed to have gained during her escape once again left her face at his announcement and she looked away. Dracula smirked; he simply _loved_ it when people reacted to his name.

He chuckled and moved closer to tilt her head up; she was now refusing to meet his eyes and Dracula could feel her trembling slightly as he used his other hand to softly brush back a few wisps of hair that had fallen to shield her face. "Come now lovely," he mocked, "nothing to say? No witty rebuttal, no stinging insults?" He watched as she shut her eyes fiercely and jerked her head out of his grasp. He chuckled and dropped his hand to face Damien.

"Bring her. We're leaving," he said, turning away, his thick black cloak billowing out behind him, "We need to have reached Slatina by sunrise."

Damien almost hesitantly approached Fleur. Gently he reached and placed a large hand on her arm. She flinched and snapped out of her trance. Furious and scared she turned to him. "Why Damien?" she pleaded, her eyes glistening with wetness, "Gods _why_? Do you realize what you've done? Do you even **care**?" She blinked as a tear slid down her cheek; angrily she wiped it away and nearly yelled at him. "**Why didn't you just kill me? Why? Why did you let him bring me here?**"

Not able to say anything, not having anything **to **say, he simply stepped closer and swiftly hooked an arm under her knees; effectively lifting her off her feet. Damien heard her hiss of pain as she jarred her right shoulder but ignored it. She would learn that this is what happened when you displease the master. For her sake he hoped she learned sooner than later.

Damien steeped out to the ledge where Dracula was waiting and Fleur stopped struggling in his arms momentarily as she gulped. She hadn't realized just how high in the mountains they were, or specifically how far away from the ground she was. Fleur felt a strange sort of energy pulsate in the air around her and felt Damien's body jerk. She tilted her head back to look and froze. Gazing back at her was the most terrifying image she'd seen in her life. Pictures of the highblood's beast form did not do them justice to how truly animalistic and demonic they were. Fangs the length of her hand protruded from Damien's gums and his once brown eyes were a horrible crimson color. An almost scaly hide-like skin covered his body and long pointed ears rose from his head. His entire body was bigger, more deadly, and much more terrifying.

Damien sensed her staring and looked down at her, listening intently as he met her gaze and her heartbeat sped up drastically. The second they made eye contact she broke it and looked down, her eyes shutting once again as if to block out reality. He felt her begin to shake again and gently reached up with a talon to stroke her cheek. She jerked when she felt the contact and turned her head so it was hidden in his chest, she wrapped her arms hard around her middle ignoring the pain from her shoulder as she struggled not to cry. _This can't be happening. This __**can't**__ be happening. _

But it was.

Dracula caught himself once again studying the way Damien tried to comfort the terrified huntress and frowned; he'd have to fix that. But it would have to wait; the sun had already set and they needed to get going in they were to get to Slatina by tonight. Quickly he morphed into his beast form and took off the ledge, effortlessly flapping his great wings as he took the lead heading west. He sensed Damien follow closely behind him, and could hear the rapid beat of his pet's heart. He shrugged, she would get use to it, she didn't have a choice.

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**A/N: From a few of your response I'm guessing I didn't make it clear that Fleur was not ****actually**** in a coma. Rookie mistake for trying to portray sarcasm within a story. Never works. I'll probably be going back soon and changing that so that either A) you can tell she's simply ****unconscious****, B) she's snapped out of the coma when Dracula heals her head wound, or C) she actually ****is**** in a coma. **

**Sorry for the confusion. **

**Also TEASER: Dracula doesn't wait to Bucharest… what can I say, he's an impatient egotistical control freak. **

**REVIEW OR I'LL HAVE TO LEAVE YOU HANGING!! **


	9. Trial and Failure

**I promised a chapter soon and now I'm proud to present the ninth chapter of Gabriel's Mark. **

**I personally liked this chapter quite a bit, hehe ;) you'll see. **

**PLEASE REVIEW, I'M TRYING TO BEAT MY RECORD OF FIVE REVIEWS PER CHAPTER!!! **

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CHAPTER 9.

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For the first hour Fleur hugged herself so hard she was sure she left bruises, but after that she slowly unclenched her hands and eventually managed to open her eyes and peek down as the landscape rushed past.

In time she got use to the rough feeling of Damien's chest under her cheek and the grasp of his talons that were the only thing keeping her in the air. As much as she wanted to hold on to something, _anything_, she refused give in to the urge to simply wrap her arms around his neck and hold on for dear life.

Soon Fleur was gazing around the country side; it was night and the dark landscape was empty and silent; it was beautiful. Fleur could barely make out the form of Dracula as he flew ahead of them, his dark wings and hair making it near impossible to spot him, but from what Fleur could see he was even bigger than Damien whose wind span ranged over ten feet. She shivered, the temperature had continued to drop as the moon rose higher and now even her thick cloak and Damien's body as a shield against the wind could not stop her uncontrollable tremors.

Fleur's stomach eventually started growling loudly and she wrapped her arms harder around her middle trying to fight off the hunger pains. She hadn't eaten anything since yesterday afternoon and the fatigue and strain of the yesterday's events were still catching up to her. Giving in, she pulled the hood of her cloak tightly around her head and buried her face in Damien's chest and let her eyes droop shut. She was cold, and hungry, and her arm shot agony through her body every time she moved it, but overall she was exhausted and soon gave in to a fatigue induced sleep.

Dracula touched down gracefully on the rooftop of one of the many buildings that littered the streets of Slatina before shimmering back into his human form. Damien landed soon after and then obediently followed his master as they entered the building through a door conveniently built into the roof.

"One of the first things you must learn," Dracula started addressing Damien as they descended the steps, "is the hierarchy of the vampires."

Damien gave him a confused look. "Hierarchy?" he repeated.

"Indeed," answered Dracula, "After I _died_, most of my followers began turning large masses of people into vampires. At first this worked very well and it was almost as though my prodigy had indeed come to life, but soon after we realized the enormity of our mistake as the new vampires began competing for food, power, and position. There simply was not enough of anything for that many people. Lucky, we managed to establish a system of order where the stronger and more pure blooded of the vampire rule over the lesser vamps."

He shrugged. "I have often considered just killing off the lesser vamps, they barely have enough of my blood in them to truly even call them vampires, but I suppose they are at least better than humans."

Dracula came to the end of the stairwell and turned a corner bringing them into a dimly lit foyer; as soon as he entered all discussion seemed to cease and its occupants immediately fell into graceful bows and curtseys. At first Damien was surprised there were so many people awake at this early an hour, but then remembered where he was, the vampyric kingdoms were composed almost entirely of the undead, he supposed this was only late evening for them.

Soon the attention of the room was focused on him and he shifted confidently to meet their gazes with stoic dignity. What **did** make him uncomfortable however, were the looks they were giving Fleur. He realized it was entirely possible she was the only human heart beat in the building, maybe even the city. He shifted her a little closer, praying she wouldn't wake anytime soon.

Dracula had a quick work with one of the vampires behind a counter and soon returned with two keys. "Come," he said, before turning away, obviously expecting Damien to follow. Which he did.

He led the way down the hall, "Do you realize why you were being given those looks," he asked quietly as they walked.

Damien shook his head. "I honestly don't know master. I suspect Fleur grabbed most of their attention, but others were looking at me as though they'd never seen a vampire."

Dracula chuckled at his ignorance. "It's not that they've never seen a vampire, they all were vampires, it's that there were only three vampires in the world which held my direct blood." He looked pointedly at Damien, "and now there are four."

Damien was shocked. He knew the high lords were sired by Dracula, but he hadn't realized they were _the only ones_. And now he was one of them.

"You would be what is called a second-generation vampire," Dracula continued, "or a high lord, from there is the third-generation or the lesser lords, the forth-generation which are the barons, and so on. Since vampire can not reproduce, one of the few things that has **not** changed the thinner the blood gets, people are forced to sire someone to take over should they be killed."

He waved his hand absently as he turned yet another corner, "It's a long complicated process to explain, one I shall leave to my other high lords to explain to you, but what you should realize is that by giving you my blood directly you have been made into one of the most powerful beings in the world. Quite astonishing is it not?"

Damien was shocked. "I'm honored master," he managed, still recovering, "but I must know, why now? I've heard you haven't sired anyone in over two-hundred years, why me?"

Dracula brushed Damien's gratitude aside. "I simply needed another highlord, our boundaries are expanding and I'll need more people I can trust to watch over them. I've specifically banned my vampires from siring the humans, the last thing we need is more lesser vamps; no, we'll enslave the humans probably, maybe make the strong ones into werewolves, or simply kill them; but I specifically picked you because one; I needed to sire a human, I can't sire someone who's already a demon. That's why I was scavenging the boundary, I needed fresh blood. Human blood. I saw in your mind your skill with leadership, your skill as a warrior, and most importantly your thirst for power. You were a perfect match, and in time my other highlords will accept you as one of their own."

He stopped at one of the doors and turned to face Damien. "Do **not** make me regret my decision Damien," he warned his eyes flashing for a second before it disappeared.

"Never Master," he replied bending low and accepting the key Dracula held out. Turning to his room Damien was about to enter when Dracula cleared his voice meaningfully. Damien turned around and saw Dracula raise his eye brow at Fleur sleeping form, still cradled to his chest.

If he had any blood in his veins, he might have blushed. Without a word he transferred the woman into Dracula's arms and slipped into his room. "We leave at sunset tomorrow," he heard Dracula call out before he shut the door.

Dracula continued down the hall till he came to his own room. Sliding the key in the lock he entered the room pleased with what he saw. A large bed with white fluffy sheets and pillows dominated the room but he could also see one door leading off to the right where he spied a sturdy dark mahogany coffin and another leading off to the left where he supposed was a bath. Dark navy curtains were pulled tightly across the windows and the room had a faint smell of brandy and blood. _Perfect. _

He was about to deposit Fleur on the bed when a loud growl form her stomach cause her to turn in her sleep. Dracula frowned as he noticed she was cradling one of her arms to her stomach. Gently he laid her on the bed and studied her arm; it seemed to be twisted at a weird angle. Experimentally he reached out and gently manipulated her arm but let go abruptly as Fleur jerked awake with a cry.

The second those cat-eyes focused on him she jumped to her feet only to have her ankle abruptly give out. Luckily Dracula was fast and caught her before she managed to connect with the floor. Panicking she struggled against him. "Let me go!" she cried, trying to twist away.

Surprisingly he complied and threw her back onto the bed. He studied her she sat there, her chest rising and falling quickly as she breathed; her hair now nearly completely out of her braid resting around her shoulders in disarray, face a little flushed as that delicious blood rose to the surface. Dracula felt his annoyance and fatigue drain away as lust began to gleam dangerously in his eyes.

Gently he sat himself next to her on the bed, Fleur's eyes never leaving his gaze as she watched his carefully. Tenderly he reached out to softly caress her arm with his finger. "Come now lovely," he cooed, his eyes seeming to capture her, "don't look at me like that. I've never hurt you, why would I?" Sneakily he let his finger slid up her arm till he was gently soothing the back of her neck with his soft hands. Fleur felt her eyes getting heavier, all she wanted to do was lean into those hands, let him rub away the hurt and aches. _He'll make you feel better; _a voice seemed to whisper in her head as she let her eyes drift shut. _Let him hold you, let him touch you; _it said.

Fleur felt her back hit the covers and she let out a soft sigh as those wonderful hands gently healed her shoulder, and then her ankle, before moving up to stroke the covered column of her neck and moving lower.

Dracula struggled to keep his hands slow and soft; even he was having difficulty controlling the urge to rush and plunder as he felt her muscles go lax. Suppressing the little hunter's mind was proving more difficult as it worked in overdrive trying to comprehend what was happening but Dracula managed to sooth her and stifle her mind as it screamed for her to react.

Gently he lay himself more fully beside her and felt himself become more and more aroused as she made little noises in her throat as he stroked her shoulder and neck. Figuring she was deep enough in his spell he moved closer and pressed his cool lips to her neck, nuzzling it his hands slipped down to undo the ties that secured the front of her tunic and then light armor.

Finally he managed to untie all her layers and pushed the clothes open to reveal an arousing gap of naked skin. The second he pressed his eager lips to her collarbone however, her eyes shot open and he was abruptly thrown from her mind as panic snapped her mind out of its dreamy state.

"_Damnit!"_ Dracula's mind cried, he had been **this close** to having completely seduced her mind. His curses her cut off when, for the second time that day, Fleur's knee came up and connected solidly with his groin. He groaned aloud and collapsed onto his side, it was even worse this time because he was aroused. Damn her! Why hadn't he just waited till he reached Bucharest like he planned?

He heard he scramble to her feet and then the sound of her racing into the bathroom quickly followed by the slam of a door and the _thud_ as it was barred form the inside. As if that would stop him.

Getting slowly to his feet and taking deep breaths Dracula was unusually calm as he walked toward the door, but most would simply say it was the calm before the storm. "Open this door **now**," he said, not bothering to raise his voice, he knew she could hear him.

The silence and the not-opening-of-the-door were testing his patience. "I **said**, open this door **now**," he said, a little louder, his hands curling into fists. Of could he could have simply materialized inside the room, but that was not the point. **No one** disobeyed him. **No one**.

His temper snapped and he let loose a deafening roar as his beast form took over and he thundered on the door splintering the wood and effectively cracking the door. With one unnaturally strong hit the poor door flew off its hinges and crashed into the opposite wall.

Dracula stormed into the bathroom to find Fleur huddled in one of its corners. Her arms were wrapped around her bent legs and she was backed as far as she could go against the wall. Her head was buried in her arms and she was shaking. He quickly released his beast form and marched over to the small figure. Bending down he grasped hold of the front of her tunic and hulled her to her feet.

"You will not **ever** lock a door against me! Do you understand you little wench!" he shouted, watching satisfied as she visibly flinched at his tone, "I am your **master** and you **will** respect me as such!"

Pushing back her fear she snapped her head up and met his furious gaze with one of her own. "You are **not** my master! You're just a coward and a manipulator and I swear to God if you ever do that again I'll **kill you**!" she yelled, breathing hard.

Dracula was slightly taken back at the little mortal's words and felt his anger wane a little under her defiant glare. "_She will break_," he promised himself, "_have patience. It will be so much sweeter when the time finally comes." _He smirked. Instead of sinking his fangs into her neck as was his original plan he now bent close and whispered in her ear. "You think yourself brave little hunter, but really your showing just how ignorant you truly are. Trust me, if you knew exactly what I am capable of, you would **not** speak to me so." Calmer now as he listened to her heart beat race, he lightly reached up and traced the line of her jaw. "I suggest you enjoy your night in Slatina," he whispered, "because when we reach Bucharest I will **make sure **you realize just what you're dealing with. And trust me; it will be less than pleasant for you my pet."

With that he dropped her back to the floor and calmly retreated from the room, stepping around the splintered door frame as he made his exit.

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For a long time Fleur sat unmoving on the cold stone floor, staring at the ground as her mind worked furiously trying to sort through her thoughts. "_What had happened back there?"_ her mind thought as a wave of shame rushed over her. Had she really let him touch her like that? Had she really been so weak that he had nearly unbuttoned her top before she even realize what was going on? She shut her eyes, furious with herself for being so pliant.

Every story she'd heard was true, she thought grudgingly, maybe more than true. He was charming, and manipulative; terrifying and controlling. He was cold and ruthless yet fiery and temperamental. She felt a shiver run down her body as she gently re-buttoned her top and wrapped her arms once again securely around her knees. Gods what was she going to do?

Exhausted from lack of food and fatigue, she lay her head weakly against her knees and shut her eyes praying for a dreamless sleep. The last thing she needed was go from one nightmare straight into another.

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**Haha, I'm so mean to this character but I have my reasons. ****Before we go any further in this relationship there's something you all need to know about me:**

**I don't believe in all that "first love" stuff, it can be nice sometimes but usually I just can't stand it when I read stories and they're like "and then he saw her and she was just so beautiful he knew they were meant to be together forever"…I cringe.**

**You all know what I'm talking about. I truly think love is something that emerges out of circumstance, not a spontaneous emotion. Those are usually "lust", not love. What I'm trying to do through out this story is change that lust into love. To me a much more believable course of events. **

**Ok sorry for the ridiculously long author note but I don't want any reviews that are like "WHY ISN'T DRACULA IN LOVE WITH FLEUR YET?!? YOU SUCK." Because I'll have to come back with something like "GO AWAY YOU FIVE YEAR OLD!!!" **

**Ok, love you all, hope you're all well, and please ****HELP ME BEAT MY RECORD OF FIVE REVIEWS FOR THIS CHAPTER!!!!**

**I'll really a appreciate it and it will motivate me to write even faster! Kay, chow now. **

**OH OH ONE MORE THING!!!! If you see ****any**** errors at all I'd really appreciate it if you just write me a quick message letting me know. I know it's annoying to try and read a story when it's riddled with mistakes. Ok, bye now. **


	10. Bucharest

**Enjoy!**

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CHAPTER 10.

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The moon rose majestically in the air that night, softly bathing the now busy streets of Slatina in moonlight as the cold air blew through alleys and the wind howled with a vengeance. Dracula frowned as he gazed out the widow, as much as he liked the cold bite of the winter he doubted his pet shared his sentiments, it would be a cold flight for her tonight.

Realizing he had yet to see her, he moved away from the window and walked into the main bedroom. The comfortable bed with its fluffy deep covers was as neat as it had been when he first walked through the doors and there was no sign of the huntress anywhere. Frowning, Dracula entered the bathroom and gazed displeased at the figure that sat curled in the corner.

"_She hadn't move,"_ he thought, bending down and brushing her hair back from her arms as they cradled her sleeping head. Then he smirked slightly, it was good to know he hadn't lost his touch.

Without waking her he silently left the room and walked down the hall toward the foyer. The smell of warm blood reached his nose and his fangs elongated at the thought of breakfast. As it had yesterday, all conversation stopped as he entered the room and it was barely seconds before he found himself holding a fresh goblet of spiced blood and being seated at the head of the great table. Damien had come down earlier and was already sipping his second glass of blood with a contented grin on his face.

"Damien," he said addressing the young man, "We'll be leaving soon. I need to be in Bucharest by morning so hurry up with your breakfast. I'll also need you too go fetch the huntress, you'll probably find her asleep on the bathroom floor—"

At this Damien looked up, curiosity and speculation written on his face. Dracula pointedly ignored the expression and continued.

"Also, see if the kitchens have any human food, little witch is probably too proud to admit she's hungry and get a thicker cloak. It's going to start snowing."

Dracula drained the last of his blood from the goblet feeling the warmth spread throughout his body, and yet, it was not the same as when he'd sucked the life from the soldier a couple days ago. Dracula frown at the empty cup, that blood had probably been sitting in its bottle for days now and lost its freshness.

Dracula thought about the woman upstairs and grinned, perhaps he could have a little taste of her tonight.

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Standing on the terrace Fleur gazed out at the cloudy night as snowflakes began to fall around her. The winter cloak Damien had brought her was pinned securely around her shoulders and the degusting meal of werewolf feed sat heavily in her stomach. "_Of course they didn't have real food_," she thought, scowling, "_why would they waste __**edible**__ food on werewolves when they themselves are only a step above humans."_

At least she wasn't hungry though. Her solitude was interrupted as Dracula and Damien emerged from inside where Dracula had been having a last minute discussion with some baron or another. Unconsciously she stepped father away as Dracula stepped next to her.

"You'll be flying with me today," he stated without preamble.

Fleur turned to him, appall written across her features, she not certainly would **not**!

She opened her mouth to speak when he turned and captured her jaw firmly in his grasp, his eyes glaring dangerously. "I would not object were I you little hunter. You have pushed me to the end my leniency; that stops here. From now on you will only speak when spoken too and when you address me you will address me as master or my lord," he growled, his eyes flashing their eerie electric blue. "I will **not tolerate** your disobedience any further. Understood?"

Fleur struggled to shake her chin from his iron grip but he didn't give an inch, continuing to hold her there within his chilling gaze.

Finally, sensing there was no point in fighting here; Fleur dropped her eyes to the floor and whispered an almost inaudible "yes". He stood there for a second as if waiting for something before lifting her almost effortlessly off her feet and slamming her backwards into the stone wall.

"Yes **what**?" he growled, his eyes glowing a demonic red as he shimmered into his beast form. _"Gods," _Fleur thought, as fear rose from the pit of her stomach and his talons cut painfully into her arms, "_he's even bigger than Damien."_ Indeed his fangs seemed more deadly and with his wings spread out to their full extend Fleur felt trapped within his dark embrace.

"Yes _my lord,_" she whispered, her voice shaking much to her dismay.

The demon's eyes cease glowing and he dropped her unceremoniously back to the ground. "See now," he growled, his rough voice sending shivers down Fleur's skin, "was that so difficult?"

She refused to look at him. Not waiting for a response Dracula held out an arm and wordlessly reckoned her to him. Fleur hesitated but the look in his eye told her now was not the time for defiance.

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Dracula could let she was far from comfortable as she walked into his embrace and he wondered faintly if she was like this with all people or just him. Figuring he'd question Damien later he bent down and slipped a hard under her knees neatly holding her against his chest as he moved to the edge of the ledge.

Without thinking twice he walked off the edge of the terrace plummeting downward before stretching his great wings out and effortlessly soaring high above the city. The cool air rushed past him and he savored the refreshing feel of it as he rose higher and higher into the frosty night air.

After a while he sensed the figure in his arms open her eyes and look down as she marveled at the bright moon and beautiful landscape. He couldn't help but agree with her unspoken sentiments. It was breathtaking.

For hours the two winged figures glided through the air in silence simply reveling in the joy of flight; the wind was at their backs and they made good time arriving in Bucharest shortly after midnight.

As they neared the city Fleur gazed in wonder at the beautiful picture it made, light shone from the city making it appear warm and inviting. Shivering she pulled her cloak even closer around her body and feet, she still had not gotten any shoes. Dracula circled one of the huge mansions once before landing lightly on the rooftop.

Fleur quickly slipped from his grasp and went to stand a little ways off looking over the side of the building at the bright lights and busy streets. Faintly she wondered why vampires and werewolves should need lights but was rudely pulled out of her musings as Dracula barked at her to come.

They headed through a door leading down the stairs and Fleur could only stare at the wealth and grandeur that emanated from the well lit hallways. Gorgeous Persian rugs tickled the bottoms of her bare feet and priceless paintings and tapestries adorned the dark stone walls. Suits of armor seemed to be placed at every turn and the light from the torches on the hall flickered as they strode pass.

Finally the trio came to a stop at an immense sweeping staircase that led directly into the grand hall where vampires of every shape and size could be seen conversing and laughing as they sipped their spiced blood. Fleur shuddered at the sight and felt her heart beat pick up, unfortunately everyone else in the room did too and the entire hall seemed to turn as one to look at the mortal.

Fleur took an unconscious step back, then another, as their hungry gazed followed her every move. Dracula smirked maliciously at her before laying a hand on the small of her back and guiding her closer to him.

Immediately the spell was broken and all eyes turned to Dracula; the room's occupants falling into graceful bows as their master descended the stair. Unlike in Slatina however, the room did not remain silent, this time vampires rushed up to greet their lord to inquire eagerly how he was, and was his trip a success, and if perhaps they could have a word with him privately later?

Dracula felt annoyance rise in him as he dealt with the petty and repeating questions his faithful higher vampires threw at him. God how he **hated **returning to court. Desperately needing a break from their infernal queries he pulled Damien in front of him and announced in a loud voice, "I would all like for you to welcome, Damien the Forth High Lord, and my newest predecessor," and then stepped back as the throng quickly moved to Damien as if smelling new prey.

Dracula couldn't blame them, Damien was new and he was powerful, it would be social and political suicide not to try and get on his good side from the start. Dracula already had his favorites picked out, they no longer needed to try and sway his allegiances. His eyes laughed as he watched some of his more ambitious vampiresses hang on Damien's arms running their hand over her shoulders and back as they fluttered their eye lashes and acted coy. It seemed Damien would not be lonely at all for his first night in Bucharest.

He felt a cold hand slip smoothly around his waist and the feel of a warm goblet being pushed into his hand as enticing lips pressed against the sensitive skin of his neck. He smiled and looked down at the golden hair of one of his own favorites. Gwenevere never was one to dawdle over formalities as she worked her way up his neck and began sucking gently on his ear lope.

"Missed you," she murmured.

"Don't lie Gwen," he replied, "I didn't miss you either."

He laughed at the absolutely wicked look she gave him before she broke into a smirk. "Fine," she replied, tracing the lined of his lapels as he took a much needed sip of the warm blood, "I didn't miss you, but I must say it's much more interesting when you're here master. I was so **bored**, the only thing to do was watch the werewolves be beat and even that got old after a while."

"Promise me you'll stay for a while?" she pouted, her sky blue eyes gazing up at him. "I'll make it worth your while," she added, leaning closer suggestively.

Dracula only chuckled. "We'll see," he said, and then looked sharply up as he heard a familiar heartbeat rapidly pick up.

Gwen turned too as she picked up on the sound and she spied a figure trapped slightly against the wall with Gavin towering over her.

"Yours?" she asked mildly, sipping her own blood as she watched Gavin reach out and gently cup the mortal's chin, brushing a thumb softly over her bottom lip.

"Mine," he replied and quickly excused himself as he headed towards Gavin.

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_"Damn all_," Fleur cursed, furiously chastising herself for getting into such a situation. She'd tried to remain inconspicuous and had been doing fairly well till she'd accidentally caught the honey colored eyes of the tall dark haired vampire. Quickly she'd tried to look away, but it was too late, he'd already seen her. _Handsome,_ she'd thought as he'd approached but then had quickly reconsidered, _no…beautiful. _

"A lovely lady such as yourself should never find herself standing alone," he'd said and then dropped down into a graceful bow and placed a tingling kiss on the back of her gloved hand. "Allow me to introduce myself, I am Gavin Durlaciis, reigning high lord over the western kingdoms. And you, pretty mortal, are…?"

Fleur had cleared her voice trying to hide her flustered demeanor. "Fleur," she'd replied, looking desperately around her for some kind of escape route, something about this vampire had sent warning signs shooting down her spine, but alas he seemed to be standing right in her way.

"_Flower_, a name suiting for such a beauty as yourself," he'd answered smoothly, taking another step closer to her and keeping her hand trapped lightly within his grasp as his thumb gently caressed the smooth leather.

"Tell me pretty flower, what are you doing here with the master?" he'd asked, his eyes taking on a soft glow.

Fleur had looked away and scowled. The hell if she was going to admit to this vampire she was Dracula's entertainment. "I don't know," she'd lied instead.

The vampire's eyes had seemed to twinkle with a dark kind of amusement as he'd bent closer and whispered in a low voice, "Ah, but I think you do little flower."

"And," he had continued as her eyes snapped up, anger burning like a small flame, "I would recommend you just accept the fact that your fates already been set."

He had laughed a low chuckle and gently reached up to cup her chin. "Perhaps the master will even share you," he'd added fondly.

And that's how she found herself in **this** situated, backed into a corner with the tall vampire caressing her face and looking at her as if he'd like to eat her up like some kind of dessert while she struggled to restrain herself from doing something rash.

She felt his thumb graze her bottom lip and she clenched her fists, one more second and she was going to nail him right in the face…

"I wouldn't do that," a voice suddenly drawled from behind the dark haired vampire, "she may bite."

The suave vampire quickly dropped his hand as he turned to face his master, and then grinned wickedly. "Perfect," he said, throwing Fleur a once-over, "I like them better when their feisty."

"Really? Well you see we are at a disagreement there Gavin for I prefer the **obedient** and **quiet** type," Dracula replied, not even sparing Fleur a glance.

Fleur's face flamed as she quickly reached up to wipe off the nonexistent mark of the vampire's finger tips from her skin. She was not a prize, or an object, and she would not stand to sit by and be talked about as if she wasn't present!

"Well I prefer the gentlemanly chivalrous type who actually possess a heart that beats!" she snapped, "a shame this room seems to be lacking in that category!"

The whole room went silent, his manners and heartbeat were not the best topics for Dracula and Fleur had just unknowing crossed a very fine line.

"Indeed," he said stiffly, his eyes flashing dangerously but Fleur was still too angry to notice.

"Yes, unlike cowardly chauvinistic pigs who murder in the night and then kidnap and flee—"

She was abruptly cut off as Dracula's hand shot out and gripped her arm in a viselike grip yanking her to him. "What," he began, speaking slowly and pronouncing each word individually as his eyes turned their deathly electric blue, "have I said about speaking when spoken to and respecting your betters? Obviously my warnings were not enough, and as promised you will now be punished by **my **hand."

He snaked his arm painful around her torso pinning her arms to her side as Fleur kicked and yelled at him, not caring if she caused a spectacle of herself, dignity was long forgotten after she'd recognized the look in his eyes. She'd seen it enough in her lifetime; it was a look that ensured pain, and a lot of it.

"Meet me in the lounge in half an hour, this shouldn't take long, and bring the other high lords. I have things to discuss," he snapped to the now silent Gavin before materializing abruptly out of the room.

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**Yay they're finally in Bucharest!! **

**OK PLEASE GUYS REVIEW IF YOU LIKED IT (or hated it)!!!! ESPECIALLY YOU 'HITS' BECAUSE THERE ARE LIKE 700 OF YOU!!! **

**Another thing…if you're going to put me on your alert list…can you at least say hi? Nothing fancy, just a little something that says 'hey your work is good enough to at least interest me'…that'd be nice. And I'd love you forever. **

**TEASER:::: So I'm thinking of revealing Fleur's secret next chapter…and she meets a new character that plays a very important role in the story…and maybe the first hint of Dracula actually 'feeling' something…plus a very special event will be happening soon and I think you should all review and let me know just how fast you want me to finish it. ******** hehe evilness and yes, I'm a review-whore. Don't hate me. **

**OK LOVE YOU ALL, HOPE YOU'RE ENJOYING THE STORY, I'LL UPDATE SOON!!!**

**Chow. **

**-****Still**** don't have an alias I'm satisfied with yet…**


	11. Of Pain and Secrets

**Opps, it seemed I unintentionally lied in my last author note. Fleur ****does**** meet a new very important character, and Dracula ****does**** finally figure out Fleur's secret [he's extremely excited about this little piece of news but it won't be till ****next**** chapter that we get to see a little glimpse of feeling on Dracula's part. **

**Also, I'm pretty happy about the reviews from the last chapter, I once again TIED my review record. NOOO!! But maybe this time…**

**AND**** I'm so happy to say thanks to Violetrose18 & Gem Of The Stars for being my newest reviewers!!! YAY!! Hope you continue to enjoy the story. **

**Also, little shout out to all my continuous reviews whom I absolutely ****adore.**

**cheryljulia**

**VintageLyre**

**ForeverACharmedOne**

**Elwyndra**

**Topgallant**

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CHAPTER 11.

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The servant that had been busy tidying up the count's chambers was nearly thrown to the floor as his master arrived with a struggling and cursing bundle that could only be described as a half terrified half furious woman.

"Restrain her," the count yelled tossing the woman to the lesser vampire. Banu managed to catch her and wrap one arm securely about her middle while the other muffled her frantic shouts. Dracula quickly stalked across the room, throwing open the doors of a tall wooden wardrobe to reveal shelves literally over flowing with an assortment of weapons.

Fleur's eyes widened as she spied the cabinet's contents and her anger immediately evaporated as the familiar feeling of panic set in causing her to struggle even more frantically. This could not be happening!

Dracula found a thick rope and tossed it to the servant as he continued to look for something. "Tie her to the bedpost, and make it tight." Obediently the servant dragged Fleur to the closest bedpost and secured her hands tightly around the strong wooden pole of the canopy bed.

Dracula turned having found what he was searching for. The black leather length of a coiled whip was grasped tightly in his hand as he approached the now silent yet still struggling Fleur. "Would you like for me to remove her armor my lord?" the servant asked respectfully.

"It matters not," Dracula replied, his eyes still burning in icy rage. No one spoke to his like that in front of his subordinates, especially not some mortal wretch. "Leave us," he commanded and then waited patiently as the servant quickly exited the room leaving the chamber in eerie silence.

Fleur shut her eyes tight and leaned in against the bedside as she clenched his fists. _She wouldn't break. Not for him. Not for any of them_ her mind silently repeated over and over as she waited for the first blow. There was silence for a while as Dracula eyed the woman, waiting for the tears and pleas for mercy to start. But nothing happened.

She lay there, still and braced, her head bent into her arms as she trembled. This was the part she hated most, the waiting; that unknown space of time where the predator had already cornered its prey yet liked to see it squirm a bit before pouncing, and as much as she hated herself for it, she couldn't stop the quivers as they swept through her body.

If possible, the fact that she had yet to crumble made Dracula's eyes grow even more intense with displeasure and nearly blind with rage. "_She will pay, be it in tears or blood, she will pay,"_ he thought venomously, raising his hand and lifting the whip threateningly over her hunched form before bringing it swiftly down with enough force to make the air hiss as the leather cut through it.

The sickening sound of the whip slicing through the thin armor into flesh could be heard and Fleur felt the air abruptly leave her lungs as she gasped out in agony. For the next five minutes the assault of blows rained down on her back, though after the first thirty hits Fleur's mind finally drifted into its familiar dream-like delirium where no pain could follow. She no longer heard the howl of the whip, the sting of the strike, the trickle of tears as they slipped unnoticed down her face, nor the taste of blood as she bit her lip in the attempt not to cry out. She lay weakly, gasping for breath, wondering faintly if he planned to beat her to death. In a way she hoped he would, if only to bring this torture to an end.

Unfortunately for her, Dracula ceased in his merciless onslaught just as Fleur thought she could take no more. The air was filled with the sounds of ragged breathing as Fleur slowly regained her composure, slowly managing to raise her head as she fought back the nausea that was threatening to overcome her. A cold finger to her chin forced her to meet the icy blue eyes staring down at her; no longer filled with rage but the displeasure still radiated out of them. _"Bastard,"_ Fleur managed to think as her vision swam in and out of focus.

After studying her for a second he released her jaw and cut through her bonds with a quick swipe of his razor edged talon. "You have twenty minutes to clean yourself up and met me in my private parlor. Fail to cooperate and the consequences will indubitably be most unpleasant for you. Gavin seemed quite taken with you,—"

Fleur's face visibly paled.

"—perhaps I'll let him keep you for the rest of night."

Standing up, he licked his finger sensually, savoring the blood that had dripped from her lip. "The bath is already full and time is already ticking so I suggest you hurry," he said offhandedly before sweeping out the door.

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Dracula scowled as he strode down the hall way, the night had **not **gone as he'd hoped. Was wanting to seduce, ravish, and perhaps taste the little huntress really such a outlandish wish? The furrow in his brow became even more distinct as he recalled her disrespect to him. No she had gotten what she deserved, no more and no less; although he would have much preferred it if she had just given in after the first few strokes. Then he could have given her a little false comfort, healed her wounds, maybe taken a sensual bath together as she thanked him for his kindness and mercy…

Halting abruptly in the hall way as a sudden thought hit him he changed direction and headed back toward his chamber grinning slyly. Perhaps this night wouldn't have to be a total waste after all…

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Fleur audibly hissed in pain as the hot water lapped over her back but she forced herself to continue sinking into the bath till the water brushed the bottom of her chin. Slowly opening her clenched eyes she grimaced as the now pink colored water and felt her stomach roll. "_Please don't let me vomit in the bath," _she prayed as she slowly reached for a wash cloth, every moment straining the muscles in her back and causing her to flinch in pain.

Far above Dracula stealthily managed to materialize into the rafters that hung over the bathroom, starring down at the now nude woman submerged in the foamy pink water. He cursed silently when he realized he missed her disrobe, but quickly forgave himself as a long tan arm emerged from the water and stretched to reach the wash cloth on the side of the tub.

Dracula grinned as he let his eyes roam over what skin he could see. Dark hair had been let loss to tumble down her bare shoulders and the water had washed away much of the dirt and dust that had accumulated on her body over the last few days. He felt himself harden slightly as she lifted herself more out of the water to reach for the towel and he was able to see the graceful length of her neck and temping skin of her collard bone and then the soft rise of her breast… "_Just a little further darling,"_ he nearly whispered aloud.

Obviously fate was against him because it was at that second the servant Banu decided to barge in. Quick as a flash his green eyed goddess disappeared beneath the water only to emerge again on the far side of the tub, her chin down once again hidden by the water. She watched horrified as Banu reached down to gather up her shredded cloths and light armor. "Wait," she said hastily, nearly rising out of the tub. Luckily she stopped and reconsidered.

"The master wished me to dispose of these clothes," Banu said, scooping them up and ignoring Fleur's noises of opposition. "He also requests that you wear this," he continued, setting down a black bundle of clothes on the dry stone.

"Wait!" Fleur called as Benu turned to exit the bathhouse, "a bracelet. There was a bracelet in my clothes. May I keep it please?"

"I'm sorry miss but the master's orders were clear. I'm to take everything you brought with you. I apologize miss; but perhaps if you take it up with the master directly he will reconsider," Benu said trying to help.

Fleur only nodded. Above Dracula watched this whole ordeal with curiously and not a little impatience for Benu to be gone. As soon he left Dracula began making his way slowly down the side of the wall, perhaps he could even slip into the bath without the huntress knowing. He grinned. In quite a vulnerable position she was too, all alone and naked and wet…

The sight of something stopped Dracula cold in his tracks. On her wrist – Dracula would have recognized that specific birth mark anywhere. The black pointed coil that encircled her left wrist, it was obvious now why she wanted that wrist band. Dracula nearly laughed out loud as he realized what this meant. She was a Van Helsing.

Dracula remembered the first time he'd seen that mark, nearly fifty years ago on the tiny wrist of Gabriel's infant daughter. He was surprised the child had lived long enough to reproduce. He'd been almost positive that the Order, if not Brookerious himself, would have had the girl killed the first chance they got; sins of a father, bad blood, and all that which the church was so fond of.

"_It must not have been easy,"_ he thought, thinking about what his various spies and informants had told him, "_surviving when your entire race would like to see the Van Helsing line burn to the ground_. _I wonder how she managed to pull __**that **__off. She must try very hard to hide who she is…"_ he grinned, and now her secret was his; to do with as he so pleased. The prospect just left him ecstatic with all the possibilities.

This news was just too valuable, he needed time to decide how to best use this new twist to his advantage. Gabriel's granddaughter! Oh how he could have fun with this one, he thought. Quickly Dracula materialized out of the room, scheming plans forming drastically in his twisted mind…

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Fleur reached for the door handle, but quickly let go as her courage abandoned her, again. She couldn't do, she had enough nerves about going out into public dressed in full body armor with nothing but her face showing, but **this**; she couldn't go through with it.

The silk dress, more a night gown than anything, felt like heaven to her battered skin but it was the cut that made her want to cringe. The top half wasn't so bad, with its high neck and long loose flowing sleeves that reached past her hands it wasn't so different from her usual modest facade. But the bottoms half— twin slits ran up to her mid-thigh so that when she walked the gap parted neatly exposing the entire length of her leg.

Fleur fought an internal battle with herself; she'd do nearly anything not to be left with Gavin tonight. That particular vampire made her very nervous with his sly demeanor and cunning eyes; but on the other hand, she'd never worn anything of this particular nature in her life and she was going to be meeting with both Dracula **and** his high lords. Please, she prayed, don't let Damien be there.

Willing to give her courage another shot Fleur reached out to grasp the doorknob when suddenly it turned by itself. Stumbling back Fleur barely managed to avoid being knocked to the ground as the door swung inwards. Looking up Fleur was caught in the dark green eyes of a man she'd never seen before. Long shaggy brown hair fell below his ears and he wore some kind of black military uniform with a gold paw embroidered onto the breast.

His gaze locked on hers and a look of surprise appeared, "Excuse me, but I was sent here to fetch the master's new pet, are you she?"

Fleur felt her heart sink at the title, _pet_, she was now not even a human being but had been reduced down the status of some kind of trophy dog. To be played with and shown off, and then discarded. Her eyes lost some of there liveliness as she truly came to terms with her situation and she dropped her gaze as she gave the man a small nod.

"Don't lose heart mortal," he said softly, bringing Fleur's eyes back up. He gave her a sad smile. "There is a fine line between breaking someone and bending their will. The master has a talent for using his power to twist people as he pleases, but only you can decide when to give up, when to break." He smiled encouragingly at her, "we werewolves may have learned this lesson the hard way, but in the end we know that single distinction makes all the difference."

Fleur felt a shimmer of hope at the stranger's words and returned the man's smile with a small one of hr own. "Thank you," she said, straightening her back, "I needed that."

"We all do at some point," he responded and then gave her a small bow, "Allow me to introduce myself; I'm General Caliburn Devolvo, the alpha leader of the lycan packs."

"I'm Fleur," she said, obviously surprised at the man's identity. How did one as blatantly defiant in his own way rise to such a high rank as alpha leader?

"A pleasure," Caliburn replied smiling, but the grin soon faded away as he remembered what he had been sent here for. This woman was obviously dressed to play the part of the whore but her demeanor spoke volumes as she fidgeted with her dress, trying to make it stay at least semi-modest. She had kind eyes and from the ghost of the smile she'd given him he could tell it was truly enchanting, but he could sense she was still cautious around him. Suddenly his brain picked up on something his nose had been telling him for a while now, _blood._ Fresh, he thought and took a deep breath, and coming from…_Fleur._

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly knowing all too well how merciless the master's beatings could be.

Fleur's eye widened in surprise. _How had he known?_ "I'm alright," she responded, trying not to feel touched that he had asked, "I applied some salve I found in the bathroom and wrapped the injuries. They're fine," she said, trying to act convincing. At least they'd stopped bleeding…mostly.

Caliburn gave her a look that said he didn't believe her but let the issue go. "The master requested I escort you to the parlor," he began, "but he said if you refused that I should take you directly to Lord Gavin's chambers. He said he left the decision up to you."

Fleur swallowed. "I'll come to the parlor," she answered, her heart sinking,

Caliburn felt a stab of sadness go through him at the thought of what was waiting in that room for the woman but quickly stopped that train of thought before his expression betrayed him. Don't make her even more nervous, he thought.

"Very well," he answered formally and turned to head back out the door, "Come along."

They walked in silence for the most part, Fleur feeling too nauseous because of the combination of worry and pain to speak and Caliburn simply because there was nothing more to be said. Eventually they came to a tall mahogany door, Caliburn was about to turn the handle when Fleur suddenly stopped him. "Wait!" she said, the feeling of dread threatening to overwhelm her, "I just…I need a moment…I—"

"It's okay," Caliburn interrupted, his expression softening, "Take your time."

Fleur shut her eyes trying to find some shred of courage to hang on to, anything that would help her when she entered that room. Yet all she could see was Dracula's glowing eyes and Gavin's malicious smirk. She felt tears string to her eyes as she remembered the day's earlier punishment and her back blazed in pain. She thought she was going to break down and be sick when she felt strong arms gently wrap around her, careful not to brush her back. Caliburn frowned as she tensed up but ignored it and soothingly ran a hand down her hair.

"I don't want to go," she whispered, knowing and hating that she sounded like a child and a coward as a tear slipped unbidden down her cheek.

"I'm sorry Fleur," he whispered and Fleur could tell he honestly meant it. Then she did something she hadn't done in years, hesitantly she reached up and slipped her hands around his waist giving him a small hug before quickly releasing him. She stepped back and tried her best to give him a brave smile, "Thank you," she said softly before turning to face the door. That was exactly what she needed; now she was ready.

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**Yay for Caliburn, he's so sweet…so bad he's a deathly werewolf commander…but he cans till be nice right? Well shall see!**

**Um what else…REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!! **

**Review inspiration more chapters faster. **

**TEASER****::: (I love these things, they make people so frustrated haha) Ok, Dracula has a flash of something that maybe could be called 'concern' next chapter, Gavin may or may not try an make a move on our little heroine…I have yet to decide. And I think Fleur is due for a breakdown and I might introduce her newest flaw. My evil little brain is still playing around with the plot so I guess we'll find out together! **

**-Alias is still in the making….**

**GAH ONE MORE THING****!!! I say this every time but so far I've only gotten like, two corrections for my writing. I KNOW I'M NOT PERFECT AND I KNOW YOU SEE MISTAKES THAT I MISS! Please let me know! Nothing frustrated me more than trying to read something with a ton of errors in it!! Okay, now I'm done. **


	12. Savor the Feeling

**Back! HEY BIG NEWS!!! I beat my record. And I'm psyched beyong belief. Because this.is.awesome. and I love you guys that helped to reach that goal. But now, guess what? NEW RECORD!!!! Yeah I know, eight is an intimidating number but I believe in you guys. **

**Shout Outs****: TopGallant, ****ForeverACharmedOne, ****Elwyndra, ****Gem Of The Stars, ****cheryljulia, ****VintageLyre, ****Shoysrock, ****violetrose18**

**Just for being wonderful and being my inspiration. This one's for all you guys. **

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CHAPTER 12

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Caliburn opened the big door and both he and Fleur entered as its occupants stopped in their discussion to look up at the new arrivals. The large room was completely stone and had high ceilings that looked to be home of a flock of bats. A great fireplace stood cold on one side of the room and the only source of light came from a couple touches placed along the wall. A small group of vampires was sitting or standing around the dead fireplace, some with vampiresses hanging on them or sitting on their laps. The frozen air didn't seem to bother anyone but Fleur and she crossed her arms over her chest as the chill crept through her thin gown.

Dracula of course sat in the biggest chair, one foot propped on his opposite knee and an unsettling gleam shinning in his azure eyes. Gavin was diagonal from him, his face cool and impassive and his expression betraying nothing as he looked at her with golden-eyes. The rest of the men Fleur didn't know but some she recognized only by the infamous description told and re-told throughout the mortal world. The undead knight, Rumus, stood casually against the mantle piece as he studied her with his cloudy gaze and Lucas, perhaps the most feared vampire besides Dracula himself, sat lazily in a large chair idly twirling a thick hunting knife and patting the thigh of the woman that adorned his lap. Luckily Damien was nowhere to be seen.

The rest of the vampires Fleur didn't recognize and she had to bite her lip in nervous habit as Caliburn was silently dismissed from the room and she was left alone with the vampires. They looked at her with gazes ranging from curiosity, to lust, to disgust, to hate, to that infamous emotionless stare that all the undead seemed to be so fond of. Keeping her head tall she walked into the room trying desperately to ignore the fact that her gown was parting with every step leaving nearly her entire leg open to these stranger's gazes. Some vampires chuckled, others just smirked, and still others silently regarded her with a stony disposition as if waiting for something to happen.

"Tell me my pet," Dracula drawled breaking the silence as she came to stand in front of him, "Do you go by Ms. Van Helsing or Ms. Valerious?"

All the blood abruptly rushed out of her face and she unconsciously shifted her left wrist further behind her. He could not know. It was impossible. She was **always** so careful…"I don't know what you're talking about," she managed, taking a step backwards. If he knew her secret he'd kill her in an instant, she could not let that happen, if she could just get to the door…

"Oh my pet, but I think you do," the vampire king replied, his fangs slowly growing to protrude out of his mouth. Fleur took that as an unspoken sign that it was time to go. She spun around and was halfway across the room when she slammed into something definitively solid that grabbed her in an iron grip. Fleur instinctively cried out and arched her back in agony as its rough hands pressed down hard on her barely closed wounds. Fleur glared up into honey-colored eyes as they stared down at her. Stubbornly she continued to struggle despite the pain. She couldn't stay here! They knew, they would kill her, and torture her and…her breath began coming in short uneven gasps and she felt tears string her eyes. She had to get out!

She heard some of the vampire laughing and more tears escaped her eyes as she continued to lash out at Gavin.

"What's wrong Gavin, can't handle the little mortal?" she heard someone call.

He inhaled sharply as Fleur slammed her heel down on his foot. "Well if you think you can do better--!" he yelled back.

The struggle stopped abruptly as a new assailant stepped in and unceremoniously slammed his fist into her stomach with such strength Fleur was sure her ribs shattered. Her legs gave out as the air was forced out of her lungs and she collapsed kneeling on the floor gasping for breath as the vampires continued to enjoy the show. Black spot danced in front of her eyes and Fleur could feel cold sweat dripping down her back as she struggled not to vomit. She faintly heard a voice speaking, but she couldn't understand was it was saying and it sounded so far away… Fleur shut her eyes as the buzzing got louder but didn't respond; she couldn't. Bracing both hands on the cold floor she tried to get her breath, _breath in…breath out…breath in…_ Fleur found she couldn't even take a full breath because of the strain it put on her ribs and the agony in her back was just another source of pain.

Dracula watched displeased as his pet gasped for breath on the floor. He'd wanted Gavin to specifically detain her because he could usually do it without causing any physical harm to her. Of course it was too late now that Lucas stepped in; he scowled angrily at his third high lord who only shrugged callously and returned to his mistress.

Dracula watched grudgingly impressed as the huntress forcefully calmed her erratic breathing and slowly lifted herself from the ground; swaying slightly in the attempt. He could see her eyes going in and out of focus and observed how she had her arms branded tightly around her midsection. He wondered vaguely how long she could manage to stay on her feet but decided against finding out; mortals could only take so much at one time.

Wordlessly, Dracula motioned to Gavin and the high lord obediently stepped forward and scooped the trembling mortal off her feet before she collapsed onto the floor. She'll sit with Gavin till the meeting was over and then he'd question her, Dracula reasoned, she was obviously in no shape for interrogations now and as much as Dracula would have liked playing with the little huntress he didn't want any permanent damage done to his newest play thing.

Switching his focus back to the conversation that had been going on before the mortal's arrival, the room reassumed the discussion of how to go about attacking a certain Lord Conrad's kingdom; there would be plenty on time later to decide what to do with Miss Van Helsing.

Fleur was hugging herself as hard as she dared with her injured ribs when suddenly the feeling of cold lips on her bare neck snapped her attention away from the pain shooting through her body. Gavin's cold eyes help a malicious glint in them as she jerked her head up and his gaze sent a shiver down her spine. Moving quick she tried to slide off his lap but the faintest pleasure on her back kept her still as he purposefully dug into her wound with his fingertips.

His eyes dared her to try and say something; as if the whole thing were a game to him. Fleur looked at Dracula, he was discussing some kind of attack plan with Rumus and everyone's attention was fully focused on a large map that had been brought out. He wouldn't stop Gavin anyway, she thought, panicking slightly. Her alarm increased even further when Gavin's hand slipped around her bare calve, slowly inching up and spreading the material further…

She tried to move but the hand at her back stopped her from going far and she saw Gavin smirk before he bent his head and began kissing his way up her neck. Fleur shut her eyes as she felt tears spring back up and braced both her hands on Gavin's chest trying to push him off. She jumped when she felt his hand reach the top of the slit and begin slowly stroking her thigh. "Stop Gavin, p-please, please just stop," she pleaded, angrily wiping at a tear that threatened to fall.

She felt the rumble in his empty chest as he chuckled at her and she was more sure than ever that these monsters were indeed heartless. Trying to remember her training Fleur suddenly went limp in his arms. As she had predicted his grip loosened and let his guard down. Gavin bent his head down to lick her neck, leisurely making his way up to her ear. Just as he leaned to place a kiss on the sensitive skin behind her ear Fleur abruptly came to life and slammed her fist into the exposed column of his neck. Fleur felt his entire body jerk as she hit the vulnerable spot and quickly used that moment to escape. Fearfully she fled to the one place she knew he wouldn't dare follow. Wrapping her arms tight around herself she retreated into her own mind, blocking out all the pain and shame as she shook like a leaf.

"We need someone on the inside," Rumus insisted, "Conrad's kingdom is too well defended to simply charge in. It would be suicide."

"We could try an aerial attack," another lesser lord put in.

"No, we hardly have enough winged vampires as it is, we don't need to go about wasting them on some foolhardy plan," another interjected.

"Foolhardy! How dare you!"

Dracula was about to put a stop to this juvenile bickering when he felt something brush up against his leg. Looking down he saw the huntress curled tightly in a protective ball at the foot of his chair as she hid her face in her arms. She was shaking again, he thought, but why….he turned to look at Gavin. His predecessor was focusing intently at the huntress, his eyes gleaming in anger as he unconsciously rubbed his neck. Dracula caught his eye and gave him a look that would have made lesser men cry out in fear. He didn't like it when people played with things that were his. Dracula knew his eyes glowed with a horrible intensity when he was angry and he used that skill to its full advantage as he glared at Gavin. _I will deal with you later_, he spoke to him with his mind and watched satisfied as Gavin quickly broke eye contact with his master deciding the heated banter was a much safer place to rest his eyes.

Dracula looked down again at the huntress and the smell of fresh blood reached his nose. Frowning, he scanned the hunched form of her back and scowled in displeasure as he spied the stain of fresh blood that was almost invisible against the black of her gown. Shifting slightly, Dracula bent down and gently slipped an arm under the huntress's knees while the other braced her shoulders and lifted her firmly into his lap.

Dracula felt an uncharacteristic pang of worry go through him when the huntress didn't respond or even look up at him. Instead she remained curled up with her arms wrapped securely around her body and her shoulders trembling as her heart ricocheted within her chest. Gently he forced her to lean back into his chest and lay her head softly on his shoulder. Turning her head to face him he scanned her face uneasily; he'd never seen her like this and it unsettled him slightly. His concern grew even greater when she didn't resist to his proceedings nor even give any sign of recognition as he commanded that she look him in the eye.

"Open your eyes huntress," he said, his voice softening; if she would just meet his eyes he could easily look into her mind and find out what Gavin had done, but without eye contact that task was easier said than done… Lightly he brushed her hair back from her face but her only response was to turn her head more fully away from him. "Come now darling, open your eyes," he coaxed, focusing all the charm and persuasion into his voice trying to cajole her into giving in, but unlike that night in Slatina she stood her ground refusing to open her eyes and try as he might, he couldn't seem to force his way past the barriers in her mind without eye contract; a fact that agitated him to no end. As he moved her slightly to bring her more fully against him the slit in her gown shifted and fell apart exposing most of her leg. Immediately her bloodshot eyes snapped open and she reached to recover herself. She refused to make eye contact with him as she struggled to adjust her dress with shaky hands. A glimmering crystallite spilled out from under her lowered lashes as the material refused to cooperate and her frustration and embarrassment heightened with every second that passed.

When he could take it no more he reached out and captured her fumbling hands, placing them firmly on his chest. Without a word he yanked his great cape off the back of the tall chair and covered her entire body with the warm material, effectively hiding her from everyone's view. For a second she lay there unmoving, but then a slim hand slipped up to catch the hem of the cape and bring it tighter around her body and she laid her head back down and shut her eyes. Dracula considered grasping her chin and forcing her to make eye contact but reluctantly dismissed the idea when he felt a deep sigh exit her lips as her body went limp and pliant against his chest, her face burying deep into the material of his shirt. "_Just for a minute…"_ he clearly heard her mind reason as her barriers weakened for a moment. Her body gave into an exhausted slumber within seconds of her surrender and Dracula could only guess what had upset her so.

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Later that night a golden-eyed vampire stood emotionless and cold waiting for his master to arrive. He wasn't worried, it mattered not what the master did to him. He'd long ago found even pain to be preferable to the hollowness and empty feeling he so often found himself drowning in. It was a rare thing indeed that anyone sparked any kind of feeling in him; Gavin shot a gloomy smile at his reflection in the window as he watched the snow outside flutter down out of the night sky. The master's new pet had managed to spark his usually icy temper though, something no one had dared to do in over twenty years, and for that he forgave the little flower for striking him. Even anger was an emotion, and he reveled in it.

He lifted his glass to the night sky in a silent toast to the green eyed woman. "Here's to the people that push the limits and break the rules," he thought, and took a deep sip of the cold blood, shivering as the liquid slipped down his throat and again smiling at the sensation of 'feeling' something, _anything_, warmed his cold heart. "She wasn't so bad," he mused, in fact despite her defiance Gavin found himself respecting the little huntress for her quick thinking, he prided himself on his cleverness and yet he'd fallen like a fool for her swooning ploy. Gavin chided himself; he'd have to be more careful around that particular flower in the future. Her strong will had taken him by surprise too, although towards the end he sensed she'd almost completely broken down…

Gavin grimaced as he also remembered the way his master glared at him. He probably shouldn't have toyed with the master's pet but he just couldn't resist the challenge. Gavin shook his head at his foolishness; he should have known Dracula would be furious at him. Possessive bastard, he thought taking another sip.

Wincing slightly as he suddenly realized he wasn't the only presence in the room Gavin quickly blocked off his thoughts; but not before Dracula heard his last reflection.

"I'm glad you have me so accurately pinned," Dracula said icily as Gavin turned to face his master, "Tell me, do you have me down to an exact science or do some parts of me still evade your astute observations?"

"Oh master, you know you will forever puzzle me," Gavin replied cheekily, "for instance, why you have not broken multiple bones in my body yet is both a magnificent surprise and a confusing predicament indeed."

"Quite, and had anyone but you tried a stunt like that back in the parlor I would be drinking **their** blood right now," Dracula responded surprisingly calm as he took a sip of blood from his own goblet, "in fact there are only two reason you're even still standing."

Gavin waited for him to continue but it never came. Playing into his hands Gavin gave in and asked, "And they are…?"

Dracula gave him a humorless grin. "One, because you are the most cold, calculating vampire I have ever meet in both my life and afterlife; it would be terribly inconvenient to have to replace you. And two," he continued casually, "if I suspected you had even an **ounce** of lust in your entire soul to what is so **obviously mine**, I would stake you where you stand."

Gavin turned back to the window; clearly he was not the only insightful vampire in the room.

"But," Dracula went on, coming to stand beside him and lowering his voice, "we both know that isn't true. Tell me, did you just want the challenge or were you simply looking for a reason for me to confront you?"

Gavin considered it for a second. "The challenge," he replied nonchalantly, "as foolish as that little venture was, I hadn't really planned on getting caught. You're wrath can be a quite unsettling sight and I'd rather avoid it when possible. "Tell me," he went on, "do you even know what happened?"

Dracula narrowed his eyes. "What exactly are you implying Gavin?"

Gavin shrugged, smiling to himself because he knew he now had the advantage. "Only that it looked to me like the mortal wouldn't meet your eyes," he said, grinning as her saw Dracula's eyes flash, "and you seem to be having an _awful_ hard time getting into her thoughts."

Dracula's pride told him to deny it, but his rationality won out and he relented. "Yes, it was quite surprising actually, but her mind seems to be blocked off fairly well tonight," he said, "I managed to briefly get in when we stopped at Slatina, but she was exhausted and her minds was exceedingly weak that night; plus she had other thingson her mind at that moment. Tonight was definitely different."

Dracula ignored Gavin's mocking eyes as the younger vampire grinned inwardly at the thought of the little mortal blocking out his master. _Priceless._ "She is a vampire tracker," Dracula continued, "so I imagine she's had some training in barricading her mind against vampires, but I must admit it was still surprising to meet someone of that mastery; it takes years of practice to become that good and she's still quite young. Were _**you**_ able to get through her barriers?"

Gavin's eyes sobered and he reluctantly admitted he had not, even when he'd manage to make eye contact. "No," he said, "She has definitely been trained, though I know of few teachers good enough to train her that well."

Dracula nodded, he'd been thinking the same thing. Yet another thing he'd make Damien check up on when he left for his mission. Then, obviously concluding the conversation was at an end, Dracula headed towards the door. Pausing at the exit he looked over her shoulder and sent Gavin a piercing look. "One last thing Gavin; I will ignore your deeds tonight, but know that the next time you touch something that is mine, you will be ashes before you remove your hand," he warned in a threatening tone before leaving the room and shutting the door with a soft _click._

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Gavin smiled a humorless smile. "_He never did ask what exactly happened in that room,"_ he mused, "_but perhaps it is better that way, for the both of us."_ Turning back to the window he reassumed his watch of the frosty night as the cold chilled his bones and yet still somehow managed to warm his heart. _Any feeling was still a feeling. _

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Dracula exited the room quite pleased with himself. His military plans were in motion. His newest high lord was turning out to be more of an advantage than he'd originally thought. His other high lords had been put in their proper place. Now the only thing left to fall into order was Ms. Van Helsing…and he knew exactly where he wanted her.

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**TEASER ALERT:::: (evil laugh) So we talked a bit about Gavin, I'm now moving on to probably Rumus or Lucas. Both will be fun. But don't worry, I won't forget about our emotionless fiend Gavin. Also am planning on developing Caliburn more in later chapters, that will be interesting. Um…oh! So Damien's got a mission? But what ever for?!? SECRET! Also, Fleur's got a new flaw…that's def in next chapter. What could it be? gaspppp ok, I think that's about everything…or I could just be a big liar and go on a totally dif tangent and leave you all hanging for a couple chapters… hehe, I apologize in advance if that happens. But honestly I don't write the story, it writes itself. BLAME THE STORY!!!**

**Ok, REVIEW! YOU KNOW I LIVE FOR THEM!!...i think I'm like….addicted….ah-oh. **

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**NOW MORE THING:** **You guys know my pet-peeve, if something is spelled wrong or gramatically incorrect PLEASE tell me!!!! **

p.s.- thanks Gem for the 'Ms.' tip. it makes sense, good advice.


	13. The Tower Room

**HEY GUYS! Aw I was ****so**** happy with all the great reviews and encouragement I received from the last chapter; I'm happy you all enjoyed it so much. Also, you know what I'm really psyched about? NEW REVIEW RECORD!!! I'm quite excited about reaching the ten review mark for a single chapter and I'm aiming to beat it this time! We shall see wont we? **

**ALSO, BIG NEWS! You know how I'm always asking people to point out mistakes? Well now I have my very own grammar master to help me with the more intricate aspects of the English language. I'd like to thank my new beta Nienna Silmarwen for helping with the story! Hopefully I can now end the habit of writing ridiculously long run-on sentences…hopefully. You can probably tell the difference when you read this chapter, I think it flows a lot more smoothly and it's a bit more detailed. **

**So shout-out time? YAY!**

**MY USUALS: ****TopGallant, ForeverACharmedOne, Elwyndra, Gem Of The Stars, cheryljulia, VintageLyre, Shoysrock, violetrose18**

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**Thanks so much for everything guys! It means a lot to me to hear from the people who enjoy my work! Hope you like the new chapter! Kay, here we go… **

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CHAPTER 13

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Materializing back into the empty parlor, Dracula moved silently across the room and carefully lifted the lightly slumbering huntress out of his chair. She had stayed just as he left her; curled into her familiar position with her legs tucked up close to her chest, her arms wrapped around herself, and her head buried in the folds of the oversized cloak. Shifting her smoothly into his arms Dracula materialized out of the vacant parlor and back to his private chambers. He was pleased to notice the rope and whip were nowhere to be seen and the drops of blood that had splattered the floor had been thoroughly cleaned; no trace of the evening's earlier activities could be seen anywhere.

Dracula strolled across the chilly room to a small door built into the opposite wall. Light flooded through the doorway as he opened it to reveal a darkened set of narrow winding stairs that spiraled up and out of sight into the heights of the mansion. Stepping lightly Dracula made his ascent into the darkness above, his eyes glowing an eerie azure as they seemed to suck what little light made it into the narrow staircase and reflect it back out through the pupils of his gleaming stare. Soon he arrived at a small room and the torches that adorned the walls flared to life as if of their own will. As light filled the room tall dancing shadows were cast along the walls and a huge stone slab was revealed to dominate most of the small tower room. Atop the great stone lay a beautifully crafted marble coffin, its glossy black surface shinning in the torchlight.

Dracula placed a hand on the side of the heavy marble lid and pushed it smoothly open, thinking nothing of it as he moved the heavy rock effortlessly. Gazing fondly at the deep crimson material within that beckoned invitingly to his tired bones Dracula bent forward and slipped the mortal snuggly into the plush cushions that lined the interior. Turning,he extinguished the lights with a wave of his hand before stepping up and lying down beside the sleeping mortal. Dracula snaked an arm around her middle and settled her back lightly against his chest as he reached up with his other hand and pulled the heavy lid shut. Locked in the darkness of his coffin, Dracula let out a long sigh, effectively releasing the tension that had built up throughout the day. The count couldn't help but marvel at the silkiness of her hair as the dark locks brushed softly up against his cheek. Shifting a little Dracula turned his head more fully towards the still huntress and closed his eyes, feeling himself relax as he took a deep breath of the scented tresses. His last thought before he finally succumbed to blissful unawareness was that his little huntress smelled vaguely of pine forest and spilled blood; a reality that made him want to both smirk and scowl at the same time.

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_The darkness was suffocating; terror and anguish gripped her insides like the rough hands that had gripped her throat so many times before. __She could smell the blood and vomit from the moaning victims that were within hearing range and her stomach turned as she listened to the unforgettable hissing sound of hot pokers meeting naked flesh. Fleur had yet to fall asleep in this place without first having to listen to the sound of crying and begging filling her ears as the master gave his nightly lesson; when silence finally came, Fleur knew his lesson was over…that the maker of those screams and cries had given in…or they were dead._

_The sound of heavy footsteps exited the room next to her and Fleur relaxed, thinking that she would finally be able to find some peace. But the footsteps didn't continue past her room as they usually did, instead they stopped outside her door and Fleur could hear the rustle of keys as the master unlocked her door. Fleur began to panic as the lock turned -- she could already feel tears beginning to form. __**W**__**hat had she done wrong? Why was he coming tonight? **__She backed up further against the wall as her arms tightened protectively around her body. The door finally opened and light flooded in, blinding Fleur so that all she could see was the dark silhouette of a figure walking slowly towards her, the outline of a coiled whip grasped tightly within his hand…_

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Dracula reluctantly woke as a relentless thumping sound continued to pound in his ears. Opening his tired eyes he focused in on the tense figure that lay beside him. "_Damn her nightmares,"_ he thought as he realized she was once again caught in the illusion that haunted her sleep causing her heart to beat at an abnormally fast rate and her breath come in little gasps. Grasping her shoulder firmly he gave her a hard shake to wake her and sensed her eyes shoot open as she was wrenched from the dream.

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Fleur was immediately jarred from her nightmare when she felt something shake her. Barely aware of where she was Fleur reached for her daggers only to find them missing. Panicking she tried to roll away from whatever had awoken her but strong arms wrapped themselves firmly around her body; effectively pinning her arms to her side as she struggled in vain to twist free. A fierce pain from her earlier beating suddenly shot down her back as she struggled. She nearly cry aloud and was about to kick out with her legs when a strong thigh clamped down across them, pinning them down as her assailant shifted his weight and lay heavily across her form. "Stop it this instant!" the figure demanded, his mouth only inches from her ear. The abrupt command snapped Fleur out of her anxious struggling as she quickly realized who exactly was lying in top of her.

Trying to calm her erratic breathing Fleur obeyed before shutting her eyes, fighting to separate mirage from reality. She wasn't back _there,_ she wasn't with _him._ That part of her life was long over, she told herself, it was part of the past and it was going to stay there. Opening her eyes she scanned her surroundings but everything was pitch black and the only things Fleur could see were two slightly glowing azure orbs as they gazed down at her with an unreadable expression.

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Definitely not the way he would have planned it, Dracula thought taking into account their position as the huntress struggled under him, but he was enjoying the way her body rubbed up against his all the same. If he was going to be rudely awoken at odd times of the day he might as well enjoy it. At the sound of his command, however, she surprisingly ceased in her attempts to escape and fell silent. Dracula could tell she was trying hard to calm herself and he didn't need infiltrate to her mind to know she was attempting not to flinch as he purposefully breathed hot air on her vulnerable neck.

"Get the hell off me," came her curt demand once she had caught her breath. Frowning in the dark Dracula thought he preferred it when she was quiet and panting under him… "No," he said simply, and then as if to prove a point he bent lower and nuzzled her neck with his lips. This time she did flinch.

"I said get off me!" she hissed venomously at him, trying with little success to twist out from under him. Surprisingly he let her go and she felt the short-lived feeling of victory before she slammed her head hard on some kind of stone…

Dracula smirked in satisfaction.

Groaning in pain Fleur collapsed back down on to her stomach; squeezing her eyes shut as pain throbbed through her skull. Too late she realized where she had been sleeping; apparently in some kind of coffin...her eyes snapped open in alarm but she quickly re-shut them as white spots clouded her vision. A coffin. She was in a _coffin_! The realization came and was soon followed by the feeling of crushing dread she so often felt in closed quarters. Still clutching her throbbing head Fleur fought to steady her voice. "Let me out," she said quietly, her head still buried in her arms as she silently prayed he would hurry…she could already feel the tight walls closing in on her and the air becoming thicker as it got harder and harder to breath.

Dracula didn't notice her abrupt change in behavior as he leaned over her facedown form and smoothed her hair away from the back of her neck before beginning to trail soft kisses down the sensitive skin. "Relax darling, this coffin isn't big enough for the kind of activities I have in mind, but if you would just relax I'll make this as pleasurable for you as I can," he said shifting over more till his body lay completely over her facedown form, "I promise you'll enjoy it, lovely." He trailed a hand lightly from her elbow down her arm, brushing the subtle curve of her breast before ending at her hip where he lightly rested his palm. The excitement that had been pulsing through Dracula paused for a second when she didn't respond. "Come now little huntress, speechless?" he taunted, looking for some kind of answer and then frowning in confusion and she continued to keep her head buried in her arms.

Focusing on her a bit more Dracula suddenly noticed the way her breathing had sped up once more and the way her heart began to beat rapidly from within her chest. Her shoulders gave a little shudder before Dracula finally eased his weight off her to lie beside the puzzling mortal. Reaching out he gently but firmly caught her chin in his hand and forced her to lift her head. Tear stained cheeks met his gaze and he saw her emerald eyes were strangely out of focus as she looked straight at him, but didn't _see_ him. Her breath was being dragged sporadically past her parted lips; Dracula watched as she shut her eyes as if concentrating hard on something. "_Please_," she nearly begged, ashamed as her voice shook with every syllable, "P-please let me out, I-I can't breathe. I-I can't…" her voice trailed off into a nearly inaudible whimper.

The sent of fresh blood suddenly reached Dracula's nostrils and he looked down to where her hands were clenched into tight balls. He let go of her chin and grabbed her hands roughly, forcing them open to reveal the tell-tale four crescent marks in the palm of each of her hands as her eyes remained screwed shut and her body struggled with each breath. Without a word he reached up and pushed the heavy lid of the coffin back, letting the alluring rush of fresh air to hit Fleur.

Her eyes snapped open and she rose quickly trying to escape the suffocating confines of the coffin. The second she had made it to her feet however she swayed and would have fallen had it not been for the cold hand that gripped her elbow and firmly helped her down off the high stone slab. The moment her feet hit the floor Fleur's legs seemed to melt into jelly and she lowered herself slowly to the ground before her legs gave out all together. Fleur closed her eyes briefly, focusing on bringing her heated, sweat laced body back under control; her chest was still tight, making it difficult to breathe.

She felt the touch of cool hands as they gently lifted the hair off her sweaty neck followed by the caress of the frosty night air as it chilled her heated skin. Fleur continued to sit there for a while as she continued to recover from her bout with claustrophobia.Nothing had ever terrified her quite as much as that feeling of being trapped, of being vulnerable and having no way out. Although she was usually able to control her panic attacks, they still happened every now and then **--** particularly when she was scared or put under pressure. She feebly opened her eyes and met the unreadable expression of the twin cerulean eyes staring back at her. Fleur felt herself go defensive as his eyes studied her with that famous stony expression.

"I'm not weak," she said, her eyes flashing while her body continued to tremble with exhaustion in silent contradiction with her words.

Dracula remained silent for a second before letting his arm drop and rising gracefully from his crouched position. "I never said you were," he stated softly before climbing back up into his coffin. "There is a bed through those doors," he stated, pointing to the narrow staircase, "and down the stairs. I suggest you make use of it," and with that he pulled the lid shut with a firm _thud_, leaving Fleur alone with a stunned expression on her face.

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"_Damn her,"_ Dracula thought as he struggled to fall back to sleep. Being a stubborn and demanding female one moment and then falling apart over something as insignificant as _close space _the next. Dracula scowled, nothing about her made any kind of sense and he felt a sudden impulse to solve this mystery that seemed to surround his newest pet. His scowl became even more pronounce as another thought occurred to him -- he no longer had the warm body of the huntress to curl up to…_damn her._

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Fleur walked slowly down the narrow steps, her hand cast out in front of her as she felt her way down the dark winding staircase. _Of course there were no windows, who would want something as impractical as __**windows **__in a vampire's tower? _Finally, her fingertips brushed a door handle and she opened it to reveal the bedroom she had been in previously. Fleur glanced towards the wardrobe and inwardly flinched at the painful memory, her back stinging in phantom remembrance. Moving towards the immensely comfortable looking bed Fleur nearly sigh in gratitude. Pulling back the thick covers she slipped between the cool silk sheets and reached up to grab one of the fluffy pillows. Pulling it to her chest Fleur wrapped her arms around it in their familiar position and lay her head down, finally finding the peaceful sleep that seemed to be evading her of late.

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Neither vampire nor mortal could have noticed the pair of gleaming cobalt eyes that kept watch on the sleeping mansion. He hid in plain sight and crept in the sunlight while the world of darkness slept ignorantly on. Smirking in anticipation the figure turned away…change was in the air; he need only have a little more patience…

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**cue the suspenseful music haha, YAY FOR CLIFF HANGERS! …I'll probably get flames just for that one sentence…but what can I say? It makes me feel so POWERFUL leaving you in suspense! Haha, I'm heartless, I know. **

**p.s.- I know that not a lot of stuff happened in this chapter but it was necessary that certain thing happened and I hope you enjoyed the 'coffin scene' (as I am now calling it). **

**TEASER TIME::: (fav part) okay here's the plan. Caliburn re-enters the scene, maybe a little plot twist, I finally get to write a battle scene either in this next chapter or the one after that. But who are we fighting?!? Top secret. Perhaps I get to expand on Rumus, you don't know this yet but he's one of my fav characters…or will be. Okay, that's all I'm letting out for now. **

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW**

**You all know how excited I get. **


	14. The Conservatory

**super short author's note because i'm actully supposed to be working on a civics project...-hehe- **

**ok, enjoy. **

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**CHAPTER 14**

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Someone had opened the curtains while she slept and a scintilla of moonlight crept into the chamber through the large balcony window. The silvery light bathed Fleur's skin in its soft glow and she turned her head away as the light hit her vulnerable eyes. Pulling the silky sheets further up, she buried her head in their warm depths, a rare lazy smile gracing her lips as she reveled in the alluring feeling of the smooth material caressing her body. The soft sound of a doorknob turning suddenly reached Fleur's ears and her head shot up as her reflexes kicked in,her mind instantly cleared of it's sleepy state. Her body tensed and she sat up; drawing the sheet closer around her body as the door quietly opened. A head of shaggy brown hair peeked into the room from the lit doorway and green eyes flashed with humor at seeing her sitting up in bed.

"_Finally_ awake I see," Caliburn said, slipping into the room and shutting the door softly behind him. Strolling across the room the werewolf captain came to perch on the edge of the bed.

"What time is it?" Fleur asked, relaxing her tense muscles and settling back against the mountain of pillows.

"A little past midnight," Caliburn answered, his eyes gazing out the open window to the nearly full moon, "you've been asleep for almost fifteen hours…"

Fleur's eye widened in surprise but she grudgingly admitted to herself that the last few days had completely exhausted her of her energy. Between having to constantly keep her mind guarded while she was awake combined with the fact that she hardly ever got a good night's sleepdue to her nightmares, Fleur realized that the strain must have slowly drained her both physically and mentally. Perhaps if she could find a place to just rest her mind for a while…

"Caliburn, does this place have somewhere I could go just to be alone for a bit?" she asked.

Caliburn thought for a second. "I would usually recommend the library but lately Gavin has gotten in the habit of prowling the bookshelves so that probably wouldn't work…" he continued to run through the places he usually went when he needed time to himself. He couldn't bring her outside the mansion so going for a ride in the city was out of the question. She probably wouldn't enjoy the thrill of watching the werewolves at battle practice so he couldn't bring her down to the armory…so where, then, could she go?Caliburn's eyes light up as a sudden brilliant idea hit him.

"I know the perfect place!" he said excitedly, turning back to her expectant face.  
"Really? Where?" she asked, smiling as she watched Caliburn's eyes sparkle in amusement.

He shot her a particularly wolfish grin as he rose to his feet. "It's a surprise," he said, "I'll send Banu in a few minutes with some clothes and then we can go. Are you sure you're well enough to be moving around?"

"I think so," Fleur answered, moving around experimentally in the bed. Yes her back still stung with a vengeance whenever she moved it too abruptly and her ribs ached slightly but Fleur decided finding a little solitude would be well worth the slight inconveniences. "Don't worry Caliburn," she said reassuringly, "I've had much worse**-" **she stopped abruptly, her face paling.

Caliburn didn't know whether to be reassured that she was okay or to worry that she'd been a recipient of beatings worse than his master's…

Tucking the disturbing piece of information in the back of his mind Caliburn acted like he hadn't noticed her slip of tongue and forced a cheerful smile to adorn his face. "Very well," he said executing a small bow as he backed out of the room, "I'll return in half an hour for you."

The door shut with a small _click _leaving the huntress alone once again. Fleur lifted her hands to her face and buried her head in them as she cursed her stupidity. _Had she really just let that slip?_ God she was losing it! Pulling herself slowly out of bed she wondered how she could have been so careless. _It's probably because you feel so relaxed around the man, _her mind told her, _but why? _He was one of Dracula's men, she tried to remind herself but all she could see when she recalled him in her mind was the wolfish grin, almost too-long hair, and the clear eyes that reflected every single individual emotion within their light green depths; a mischievous boy in the body of a grown wolf. She was becoming too trusting, she told herself as she went to look out the open window. The moon shone brightly down on Bucharest so beautifully that even the most evil of occupants couldn't taint the radiance it exuded. As Fleur continued to stare out the window, she realized that she _wanted_ to trust Caliburn. But would she be far too trusting…or just trusting enough? One simply can't go through life suspicious of everyone in it, that was no way to live. "_But how do you know whom to trust?_," she asked herself quietly, doubt and confusion creating turmoil within her uncertain mind.

_How do you know who to trust?_

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Fleur once again found herself in awe of the beauty of the mansion as she walked side-by-side with Caliburn down its busy corridors. She could probably see it better during the daylight, she thought, but something told her the gorgeous hallways and craftily decorated corridors just wouldn't be the same without the flickering torches or the light of the moon shinning in through the occasional opened window. Lesser vampires darted to and fro cleaning, dusting, and doing errands for the master's many guests and visitors as Caliburn and she walked past. It seemed the higher vampires were quite demanding indeed Fleur observed as she watched the third servant that night run from a room nearly in tears.

Caliburn had insisted upon taking her for a tour around the mansion before he showed her his surprise. So far they had visited the armory, library, ballroom, dinning hall, and kitchen which, Fleur was relieved and surprised to discover, _did_ cook actual food. When she asked why, Caliburn explained the food was actually for the higher ranked werewolves that visited the mansion.

"No offense but I always thought vampires ruled over werewolves," she stated honestly as they walked.

"Well, technically I suppose _some _of them do," Caliburn replied, not in the least offended. He was actually quite proud of how far the werewolf race had come in the past years. "But," he continued, "ever since the creation of the 'lesser vampires' you could say they replaced us in the servant niche of society. Werewolves are now a more military race; picked and respected for our strength, size, and speed."

Fleur considered this aspect of the vampire nation for a second. It made sense, she decided, that in a world where the strongest rule supreme werewolves would never be called completely inferior. But, she also realized, lesser vampire were a completely different case – with hardly any enhanced abilities they were really only a step above humans -- it fit that they should fall into a lower class. She felt almost…sad for the weaker side of the vampyric species. Too be condemned to a life of perpetual slavery…Fleur shivered.

Caliburn noticed a frown unconsciously form on Fleur's face. "Everyone has a place," he said gently, knowing what she was thinking. "and while I don't entirely agree with the treatment of the lesser vamps, I cannot deny the advantage it has given to us werewolves."

Fleur nodded; she could understand Caliburn's loyalty to his kind, but still…. "Do they resist?" she asked, suddenly curious, "surely they must dislike the treatment of their kind; do they ever fight?"

Caliburn nodded, a scowl appearing on his face. "Indeed they do, but these rebel leaders…they do not fight for liberation," he said, fire suddenly burning in his eyes as the mere thought of the subject sparked his temper, "they fight for power, and greed, and their own ambitions. They gather support by promising not freedom, but destruction. They fight to destroy all the higher vampires and werewolves so then they will become the strongest species and can rule unopposed over the humans. They do not deserve slavery I admit, but this dream of death that some of the rebel leaders fight for…it is sick. I don't approve."

Fleur blinked in surprise. She hadn't known there'd been such turmoil within the vampyric nation. It was astonishing in itself that Dracula hadn't managed to stamp out this uprising yet and it unsettled her a little. Perhaps he was not the legend people made him out to be…

Caliburn waved his hand in a clearing manner as if trying to brush aside the issue. "Let us not speak of such ill things friend, I had promised you a surprise and here I am rambling about things that, no doubt, bore you," he said the fire in his eyes dying down into a soft twinkle as his playful manner returned. God she realized, _he had the same emotion span as his master_. All fire and hell one moment and cool charm the next; Fleur could hardly keep up.

"It's this way," Caliburn continued entering a wide staircase that led up into one of the bigger towers.

Fleur allowed a small gasp to leave her lips as they reached the top of the stairs and she stepped into the large circular room that was sheltered by a huge glass dome. Even with the little light the moon provided, Fleur was still able to make out all the exotic colors and shapes of each plant – there had to be thousands of different species in here! Lost in awe Fleur stepped further into the room and let her hand brush over the different textures of leaves and petals as she wandered slowly through the long rows of plant life. The blending of hundreds of different aromas combined with the musky, humid air made Fleur want to simply sit down and soak in the peacefulness of the atmosphere. Letting her hand fall from the smooth bark of a tree where it had come to rest, she turned to look at Caliburn who had followed silently behind her as she explored the magical room.

"I thought you'd like it," he said quietly, the look in her eyes being all the thanks he'd ever need; "I'll leave you to your enjoyment."

He turned to leave when he suddenly felt small arms wrap tightly around his back giving him a quick, strong hug. "Thank you," he heard Fleur whisper and he gave her a quick smile that said he understood before he turned and silently left the room.

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High above the ground a lone vampire watched the touching scene curiously with cloudy eyes. He'd long wondered about this descendant of Gabriel and now it seemed she'd unwittingly come right to him. Gazing down he found himself comparing her to her infamous grandparents. She has the shape of Anna's eyes, he thought, but the brilliant green must be a gift from her mysterious father. Her hair was a cross between Gabriel's and Anna's. The color being Gabriel's rich chestnut but the texture was all Anna's. Soundlessly the vampire shifted from one tree branch to another, coming closer to get a better look at the so-called 'Betrayer'.

Her injuries still pain her, he realized as he noticed her stiff walk _The master hasn't __healed her yet?_ The vampire scowled, he didn't care if the woman had spit on the master's feet; Lucas never should have hit a lady, much less so hard and in such a vulnerable spot…

The onlooker watched inquisitively as the woman meandered leisurely through his greenhouse, all the while sensing her mental blocks weakening slowly as she relaxed her stressed mind. _How easy it would be to peek inside her thoughts,_ the vampire observed, but quickly dismissed the idea before it became a temptation. _No,_ he told himself sternly, _one's thoughts should forever remain their own. _It was not his place to step in where he had no business being.

The vampire sighed and wondered for the millionth why he clung so desperately to codes of chivalry long forgotten. Honor was not an especially admired quality among vampires, so why pine for it? And for the millionth time since his siring, the vampire answered his own question. It was how he had been taught and to deny those lessons would be to deny the very character that defined him. For what was a man without his beliefs? _A monster_,his mind told him, _a monster indeed, _and if there was one thing Rumus Bauxindress of Cornwall was not, it was a monster.

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Fleur wandered the dank conservatory till she came to rest at the base of one of the few trees that resided in the large room. With its thick trunk and long gnarled branches that nearly spread the width of the room, Fleur thought the tree looked like it belonged somewhere exotic and unconquered, somewhere where tropical birds would come to rest in its protective leaves before the sound of their song would fill the air with a timeless melody. In this cold, dark land, however, the beautiful tree looked sorely out of place and time. _Kind of like me_, Fleur thought ruefully; something so obviously foreign and different, surrounded by a sea of classification and rigid social structure.

The sound of someone politely clearing their throat behind her broke the silence and Fleur spun around, simultaneously closing off her exposed thoughts. _Could she not have but one moment of peace?_ Standing nonchalantly a few feet from her was the vampire she recognized from the parlor. _Rumus_, she thought, and began inching backwardsshe didn't care if he used to be a knight, a vampire was a vampire. Tall and dark like Gavin, he seemed to give off an aura of quiet dignity while those gray eyes radiated such an intense gaze that Fleur seemed trapped in them. _Like master like apprentice. _

"You needn't appear so worried my lady," he said, taking an unthreatening step forward and grasping her limp hand lightly in his palm as he bent and placed a chaste kiss on the back of her hand. "Allow me the pleasure of introducing myself formally," he said watching her expression, "I am Sir Rumus Bauxindress of Cornwall, perhaps now better known as the master's second high lord."

Fleur nodded, she knew all this. "I'm Fleur," she stated simply, "but I'm sure you already knew that."

"Just Fleur?" he asked inquisitively, releasing her hand as he took a step back.

"Yes," she said, her eyes narrowing, "just Fleur."

Rumus held up his hands in truce. "Peace my lady, I mean no offense," he said, "I was only curious. We already know your identity; there's no need for you to hide your surname any longer. I only wish to know whether to call you Lady Velarious or Lady Van Helsing."

Fleur blinked surprised, that was not the answer she'd expected; a crack at her heritage or some kind of patronizing remark yes – but simple curtsey; certainly not. What was this vampire's game?

"I'd rather you didn't call me lady," she said, "I have never been a 'lady' nor will I, most likely, ever be one. Fleur is fine."

"Very well Mistress Fleur," he responded courtly and only inwardly grinned as a scowl appeared on Fleur's face; ignoring it, he continued, "and what, pray tell, are you doing in my gardens?"

The scowl disappeared and was replaced once again with surprise. _His gardens?_ "I'm sorry," she apologized, "I didn't know this was your domain. I was only looking for a place to rest my thoughts and Caliburn thought I'd enjoy it here."

"There's no need to apologize little mistress," Rumus replied, "I find the serenity of this room comforting too when I need to get away from court. Perhaps 'twas fate that led us here tonight. I must say though, the alpha leader was quite careless to have left you here alone; had it been anyone but me resting in the trees I doubt the encounter would have been enjoyable for you."

Fleur sobered at the thought but quickly rose to defend the werewolf leader. "No, no, it's not Caliburn's fault. I asked him to leave me to my thoughts. I only needed some time to think."

Rumus nodded and looked at her thoughtfully. "Indeed, maintaining those mental blocks of yours must be quite tiring," he said and then chuckled as her eyes once again narrowed in suspicion, "you shouldn't be so quick to judge, young one. I would never dip into your thoughts unless I had too; I find it quite a rude trait vampires have developed over the years."

"Really?" Fleur responded, relaxing slightly at the undead knight's words, "So if I let down my guards right now, you wouldn't take advantage of that?"

Rumus shook his head, slightly offended she would even think him so dishonorable. "Of course not my lady."

Fleur looked into his eyes; although she was no judge of vampires, something told her the man behind the vampire still stood whole and that that man, was someone worth trusting. Giving a huge leap of faith Fleur allowed her mental blocks to finally crumble, feeling as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders in the process. She felt lighter, actually…too light. Fleur swayed on her feet and Rumus quickly shot forward slipping one hand around her waist while the other firmly grasped an elbow.

"Steady now mistress," he soothed, "just relax for a second. Give your mind time to adjust."

Fleur nodded and lifted a hand to brace herself against the thick trunk of the tree as her mind quickly recovered; despite the short-lived lightheadedness Fleur felt worlds better. Shaking her head she looked at Rumus gratefully.

"Thank you," she said genuinely; Rumus gave a small smile.

"If you would like to rest alone, I can retreat to the other side of the gardens and make sure no others interrupt you," he offered kindly.

"Oh no," Fleur quickly cut in, "I'm fine alone, you don't have to stay. I'm no expert on vampire physiology but I don't think plants are a high topic on their lists of interests."

"Plants, maybe not; but tasty mortal females, absolutely," he said, pointedly eyeing her, "it's no inconvenience really, don't fret. I shall be over near the ivy and violets if you should need anything."

Fleur only nodded and then watched impressed as he seemed to melt into the jungle background, his steps never making a sound. Moving towards the base of her tree Fleur sat down and laid her back against the strong trunk as she shut her eyes and simply reveled in the wonderful feeling of having an open mind and unhindered thoughts. Sometimes not needing to guard her secrets was the greatest freedom.

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**this chapter is especially dedicated to shorty because [I quote "your chapters are way short!" haha, so I tried to make it a little longer this time shorty, I hope you enjoyed. **

**TEASER:::: ok, I finally get to do my mini battle scene, a secret is revealed, disturbing plot twist, maybe a few more answers and maybe a few more questions...um, i'll also try to add a little Drac/Fleur scene since i realize that he was sorely missed this chapter. i apologize for that. i missed him too. **

**ok reviews because tomarrow is monday and mondays suck and I will be needing a pick-me-up tomarrow morning so I'M COUNTING ON YOU!!!!**

**chow. **


	15. Rebellion

**Hey guys. Sorry for taking longer than usual with the update. Life is busy at the moment. The fair's in town! Ha, yay. Ok thanks to all the usuals, you know who you are, I love you guys to death and your reviews always make me smile and laugh so I hope when I wake up tomorrow I'll have a few to cheer me up. **

**SHOUTOUT TO MY TOP REVIEWERS AND THE AMAZING BETA!!!**

**And now the chapter; enjoy…**

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CHAPTER 15

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As the huntress fell into deep unimpeded sleep amongst the coiling roots of the ancient tree a large group of lesser vampires armed to the tee crept silently through the dank underground catacombs that stretched far beneath the mansion. They were trained well and moved as a unit, sneaking stealthily through the tunnels till they came to the ladder they wanted. One by one in rapid succession they climbed quickly up, never once slipping on the slick wet rungs of the creaking ladder. Sliding aside the heavy material that concealed the entrance to the tunnel,the leader of the clandestine group expertly scanned the setting for any signs of the master's guards. Seeing none, he hauled himself out of the passageway, his comrades quickly following suit.

With the skill of expertly trained mercenaries, the group crept as quietly as their lesser vampire blood would allow and successfully took out three werewolf guards before finally coming to the main level of the mansion; suddenly the atmosphere of the group changed and all at the once their cool and secretive demeanor turned into one of fiery rebelliousness and anxious bloodlust. Fangs grew, claws extended and swords were unsheathed as the leader raised his, hand ready to give the signal. With a final sweep of his arm the gesture unleashed the wrath of the undead warriors. The lesser vampires immediately swarmed the main level with a vengeance; their blades swinging and eyes glowing a familiar demonic red as they mercilessly attacked anything in their way, be it werewolf, vampire, or anything in between.

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"So they made their move have they?" Dracula drawled as he sat unconcerned in his great chair, the sound of screams and the clashing of swords echoing throughout the halls the mansion.

"Yes master," Lucas replied, his great hands flexing and releasing as he yearned to join in the massacre. The lesser vamps would learn their place; he would make sure of it.

"Let them believe they have the upper hand for a bit," he said, his eyes gleaming maliciously, "find out who leads them." He paused for a moment. "Gavin," he continued, directing his attention to his first high lord who stood calmly at the window, "I want _you_ to detain this rebel leader but I want him alive. After that Lucas may step in and take care of the rest of these pathetic dissenters, I care not what you do to them."

"As you wish master," the two vampire lords replied sweeping into a low bow.

"And Lucas," Dracula said as he turned to leave, "I want you to find Rumus as well; I'm sure he'll enjoy a bloodbath…he's been far too melancholy of late -- it's time he once again joined in the hunt." Lucas nodded and followed Gavin out the door, shutting it with a small _click._

Dracula gracefully rose to his feet. Perhaps he would go join in the fray, he thought as he leisurely sipped cool blood from a golden goblet; the frenzied feeding of the trackers in the cave had sustained his hunger for fresh blood, but not his lust for the kill. They had died too quickly and too easily; no fun for one who thrives on the pleasure of playing with his victims **-- **these lesser vamps should be a much more satisfying slay.

His decision made; Dracula effortlessly morphed into his beast form and headed out the great doors. The shine of his black skin reflected off the torchlight and his hellish red eyes glowed menacingly in growing anticipation as he moved slowly down the now empty corridors. Talons extended, wings spread, and fangs elongated as the roar of battle came nearer and the alluring scent of blood stronger. Running footsteps could be heard coming his way and Dracula grinned as his first prey of the night rounded a corner and came face-to-face with the vampire king.

Unable to change into beast form, the lesser vampire skidded to a halt in his human form, dropping his bloodstained sword to the marble floor with a loud _clang_. For a split second, Dracula could see the younger vampire's eyes widen in first surprise and then fear before his head was completely severed from his body as Dracula sliced clean through his neck with one powerful swipe of his razor sharp claws. The headless body stood there for a moment in ghastly stillness before it slumped unceremoniously down to the floor; a river of stolen blood flowing from the lesser vampire's headless neck.

_So they do bleed,_ Dracula mused emotionlessly as he watched the crimson liquid stain his expensive rugs; he'd always been amused by the fact that the furthest of his lesser descendants didn't even turned to ash. _Hardly more vampire blood than a mortal_, he thought with disgust; they did not even deserve the title of a vampire.

Entering the grand hall, Dracula scanned the scene before him; the lesser vampires were busy fighting with a squad of werewolves and he could tell the rebels were becoming more and more confident by the moment as his werewolves retreated tactfully back. _They actually think they're winning_, Dracula observed in silent amusement. The vampire king stepped to the top of the stair case and all eyes turned to look at the ferocious sight of the pureblooded demon beast. This was why people bowed to him, this was why people respected him, but most of all, this was why people feared him. Dracula unleashed a shattering roar that shook the windows as his eyes pulsed in power and bloodlust that made the already cold blood of the lesser vamps turn to ice. Play time was over. As if on silent command, the werewolves simultaneously stopped toying with their food and sprang forward on the offense with the same thought running through their minds; _it was time to feed._

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Fleur was pulled abruptly out of her peaceful slumber when an ear shattering roar echoed throughout the castle. Springing to her feet Fleur moved quickly towards the stairs to the conservatory tower, _what in the world was going on?_ She hurried down the stairs and felt the hazy ruminants of sleep leave her as the sound of swords clashing and yelling reached her ears. Unconsciously her thoughts once again became guarded as she moved quickly down the empty corridors. Turning a corner she gasped in shock at the scene that lay before her. A sea of carnage and gore could be seen from the top of the stairs and Fleur felt her stomach roll as nausea crept up on her. The smell of blood and death filled the air and she wanted to turn away but found she couldn't. The looming figure of a huge werewolf caught Fleur's eyes and she flinched in disgust as he mercilessly bit the arm off the vampire he was battling with and pounced on the wounded undead rebel. Fleur forced herself to look away before the werewolf could go any further; she only knew of one person who had that particular light green shade of eye color and her gentle image of him had just been brutally destroyed.

Staying out of the range of battle, Fleur silently crept along the top of the staircase, watching the scene as it unfolded gruesomely before her. The great beast form of Dracula stood surrounded in the middle of the hall, fending off attack after attack from the lesser vampires with the practiced ease of a four-century-old warrior. His moves were so rapid and so stunningly precise that it made the trained lesser vamps looked like no more than amateurs when compared to his lethal dance. Around him two large vampires were also taking out the lesser vamps as though it wasn't much more than a game to them. The bigger of the two crushed the skull of his opponent with glee shinning in this crimson eyes and Fleur felt her stomach give another lurch as the bloody, mangled mess sank to floor. Fleur was, just then, jolted into awareness that this battle wasn't a battle at all…it was a massacre. The higher vampires and werewolves were _playing_ with these rebels; Fleur felt anger rise in her gut at the sickness of their game.

Noticing for the first time the great door that stood on the opposite side of the great hall, Fleur slipped unnoticed down one of the staircases and clung to the shadows of the atrium walls as she inched towards the front entrance of the mansion. Several times she had to freeze mid-step or sprint quickly out of the way to avoid being sucked into the chaos of the battle that raged around her. If she could only get to the door, she thought desperately, then perhaps she could slip out and hide in the city somewhere till it was safe to move again. She knew it was would be more than dangerous for a human to walk the streets of Bucharest but she couldn't stay here; everyday she felt her mind getting weaker from fatigue;even her brief rest today had done little to replenish her energy – it was only a matter of time till Dracula broke through her barriers and Fleur shivered at the thought of what he could do to a susceptible mind. No, she had to escape, and _soon_.

Finally she reached her destination and had just managed to pull the door slightly open before someone reached over her head from behind and slammed it shut once again with an echoing _slam!_ Dread curled in her stomach as Fleur remained motionless facing the door; she could feel the familiar looming presence at her back and didn't need to turn around to know Dracula stood closely behind her, his gaze burning into the back of her head. Gathering her courage and reinforcing her mental blocks Fleur took a deep breath and turned. Dracula stood there, his eyes filled with the remnants of burning bloodlust and gleaming amusement as he towered over her in his beast form with an aura of superiority and arrogance that made Fleur want to shrink back and blend into the wall.

"Going somewhere my pet?" he purred, bending down slightly and letting her feel the full power of his hypnotic gaze as he looked into her eyes; it felt as if he were staring right into her very soul. Fleur felt a flash of fear and queasiness shoot through as she spied his blood stained talons; Dracula watched intrigued as the color abruptly left the young mortal's face. _Perhaps she's squeamish; _he thought curiously and tucked the thought in the back in his mind.

Dracula continued to stand over the mortal, and although she stood straight and tall, her gaze never wavered from his own intense stare **--** he could sense her back tensing as anxiety clouded her emerald eyes.

"It seems I have neglected you today my pet," he drawled, taking a purposeful step forward and cupping her check in his hand. Fleur's eyes immediately flashed at the touch but she wisely remained silent; Dracula's good moods came and went with no warning and the phantom sting on her back from her recent whipping was a constant reminder to be wary of his temper. "Don't worry," he continued, rubbing his sharp claw lightly over the soft skin of her face, "I'll have plenty of time for you later tonight, you will be dining privately with me so I suggest you wear something befitting." _As if you have a choice._ "And," he went on, his eyes slightly darkening, "I expect you to be on you _very best_ behavior or the consequence will be most…unpleasant._"_ Dracula impulsively materialized them both out of the grand hall and back to the privacy of his darkened chambers. "You will stay here," he stated, his eyes glittering as his gaze swept down her modestly clad form, "I will call on you in a couple of hours. I look forward to having the _pleasure _of your company tonight my pet, but until then I bid you adieu." Fleur shivered at the tone of his parting words as he once again vanished. As much as she _loathed _the idea of dining with the count, it was nothing compared to the feeling of repulsion she felt at the suggestiveness of his tone, she knew that eating may not be the only thing on his mind tonight…

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Fleur paced back and forth across the spacious chambers later that night, her green eyes burning with ill-concealed nerves and anger. _I don't care if he __**is**__ a vampire king, _the irrational part of her mind screamed with frustration, _he has no right to order me how to dress…even if his taste is impeccable._ Fleur shook her head in denial as the unbidden thought slipped through her mind and she once again resisted the urge to run her hand across the silky black material that covered her body. She had no idea how she looked since there was no mirror in the chamber but Fleur had a feeling that despite the fact the gown was uncharacteristically concealing, it clung quite tightly to both her hips and bust and Fleur knew it wouldn't take a lot of imagination to guess what lay beneath the clingy dress. _At least it's not as revealing as yesterday's outfit_, she mused, her face burning in humiliation as she remembered the daring slits that had adorned that particular gown. Never had she felt so exposed and she shivered again at the memory. Exasperated, she hurled herself onto the side of the bed with an undignified huff. The day's earlier events had shaken her more than she liked to admit and all evening she'd felt the familiar feeling of being trapped within the stonewalls that separated her from the world outside.

She needed air, she needed space, and she needed her freedom. These were things that had fed her soul her entire life and the fact that she had once again been brutally stripped of them made her eyes sting in both sadness and frustration. The first thing she'd done after Dracula had made his dramatic exit was run to the door only to find the conniving vampire had locked her in! Resisting the urge to beat on the doors Fleur had then tried the terrace doors to find they too were barred from the outside and the only place she had left to go was the windowless tower. Fleur shivered as she sat on the comfortable bed remembering the feeling of waking up in the coffin; she would _never_ so much as enter that room again if she could help it.

Fleur lay back on the bed, her hair flowing out to pillow her head in a dark halo as she pondered what the manipulative count had in mind for tonight. She felt her heart sink as she considered the options; none of them sounded very appealing. He would probably try to get into her mind again, she thought bleakly…he'd been far too patient of late and she knew his tolerance was limited. Fleur sighed, the depressing thought making a frown appear on her face as she continued to think. _Or,_ she mused, _he'll try to seduce me again. _Flashbacks of the night in Slatina raced through her head and Fleur shut her eyes tying to block them out; the feelings he'd brought out in her that night were so new to her, never had she felt like she'd wanted something so bad she'd been willing to ignore her instincts, her pride, even her morals. Fleur knew it was part of being a vampire... that pulsing sexuality they always seemed to radiate, but of all the vampires she'd met, _his_ aura exuded it the strongest; a fact that worried her to no end. Added to this, the fact that he'd yet to make a comment about her attempt to escape filled her gut with nerves. As much as Fleur wanted to delude herself into thinking he'd overlook the incident, the rational part of her mind knew he had not forgotten, nor was he likely to simply let it go; no, he was planning something…she could feel it.

Suddenly the soft sound of the door unlocking sounded through the room and Fleur hurriedly stood up. She would get through this, she told herself as she held her head high and straightened her back; even though she was far from comfortable in the clingy gown it gave her a sort of feminine confidence she so rarely felt in her hunters garb; in a small way, she was thankful for it. Ready now, she walked to the door just as it was opening to reveal a small vampire servant who looked her up with critical eyes. Obviously deciding she looked presentable he motioned for her to follow him as he turned and began down the hallway to Dracula's private dining area. Fleur reluctantly followed him, the growing feeling of dread pooling in her stomach with every step.

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**I think I end every chapter with a cliff hanger…oh well. Ok so I've already started on the next chapter and there's probably going to be some Dracula-on-Fleur action (finally?) but I'm not exactly sure where I want this to go so be patient while I brainstorm. **

**TEASER::: Hm hm hm, Drcula makes a move. Another interesting plot twist. I finally get to throw in that secret I've been talking about for the lest four chapters. Caliburn makes an appearance. I may have Damien return from his mysterious mission. And what will the rebel leader have to say when they interigate him?? My my my, all the possibilites. I shall enjoys this…**

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	16. A Dinner For Two

**Hey guys!! Quick update: **

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**Thanks to all you guys who reviewed for the last chapter, they made me smile. Also, CROSS COUNTRY SEASON IS OFFICIALLY OVER!!!! –sigh- god it just makes me want to giggle insanely, smile uncontrollability, and cry slightly. Not a bad combination. But this is good because I will now have a bit more time to [hopefully devote to the story…if only I get out of Key Club now… we can dream cant we? **

**Special thanks this week to the Beta who constantly reminds me of why I love Mircosoft Words, although it ****still**** doesn't catch all my mistakes. I HAVE OUTDONE THE SYSTEM!!! Nienna is a wizard(ress?)! wizardress? I don't think that's a word…but witch doesn't sound nearly as cool. **

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**WARNING: SCENES OF A SEXUAL NATURE/PARTIAL NUDITY **

** You no like? You no read! That is all. **

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CHAPTER 16

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Dracula looked up expectantly as the door to the dinning room tentatively opened; he grinned when he saw the vision of reluctant beauty enter, the great door shutting softly behind her with a ring of finality. Dracula saw the flash of nervousness in her green eyes and he felt his anticipation heighten as he shamelessly allowed his hungry gaze to rake down her body, making no attempt to hide his actions. The dress he had picked out for her was very modest at first glance with its long loose sleeves and high buttoned neck but the way the dress had been cut made it cling alluringly to the generous curves of her hips and breasts while it flowed down her legs to the floor in an elegant wave. _She finally let her hair down out of that damn braid; _he thought as he allowed his eyes to appreciate her wavy dark tresses that cascaded down her shoulders and back. He watched as her observant gaze swept suspiciously around the room taking in every detail; the warm fire burning cheerfully in fireplace for her benefit, the table set for two, and himself, freshly cleaned of all traces of blood and gore, dressed in his usual dark attire. It was as if the memories of earlier that night had been naught but a dream; exactly as he wished it to appear.

"Welcome," he said in a silky voice taking a step forward as his azure eyes continued to watch her closely, "I'm so glad you decided to join me for dinner. Come, you must be hungry; we will dine."

He held out his hand to Fleur who hesitate for only a second before she stepped forward and reluctantly placed a slim hand within his much larger one. Despite the heat from the fire, Fleur felt a shiver run down her body as his cool flesh came into contact with her warm hand sending goose bumps up her arm and sending warning signals off in her head; she would have liked nothing more than to simply bolt out the door and sprint back to the comfortable seclusion of her room, but she forced herself to stay calm and suppress the stifling urge. _It was just a dinner. Just an hour, two at the most, then she could flee back the relative safety of the chambers. ._

Dracula's eyes flashed in a flare of triumph at the surrender of her hand but Fleur was turned away and didn't see it. He escorted her wordlessly to the table and smoothly pulled out a tall back chair allowing her to slide into it, her subtle scent wrapping around him and smothering his keen senses. _Just a dinner, _he reminded himself, calming his body as it instantly reacted to the alluring smell, _an hour or two at most...then he'd make his move. _

He moved away, his expression betraying nothing, as he made a waving gesture to a nearly invisible servant that hovered in the shadows. Immediately the lesser vampire left the room to fetch dinner; the door once again shutting softly as he made his speedy departure. An uncomfortable silence filled the air as Fleur fidgeted in her seat under Dracula's piercing gaze. Thousands of questions filled her head and Fleur struggled to find a way to approach them. Deciding there was really no subtle way of getting around to it, Fleur settled on the blunt approach and met Dracula's gaze head on as she asked her most pressing question. "What am I doing here?" she asked frankly. _Prisoners do not dine with their captors…_

Dracula inwardly grinned; rather forward this one was. "Having dinner," he replied just as candidly, knowing exactly what she was talking about and enjoying the way her eyes flashed with irritation; ignoring it he went on, "I imagine you're hungry, I had _planned _on sending a plate up but it seemed you had disappeared when it arrived," he said, his icy blue eyes narrowing, "May I ask where you were?"

Fleur felt a pang of alarm shoot through her; she had no wish for Dracula to find out about the single place she could go to be alone, to rest, to find peace. _Besides_, she reasoned, _if I tell him he'll only forbid me to go there again._ Her mind scrambled to come up with a plausible alternative. "The armory," she blurted out and inwardly cursed, _the armory?_

Dracula hid a scowl; _she was lying to him!_ He could almost smell it, _the little wench; did she think him a fool?_ Once again the fact that he couldn't simply enter her mind to find the information he sought sent a bolt of irritation through him. _Patience_, he reminded himself, _patience, only a little longer…_ He forced an interested expression to grace his face and played along with her little charade. "The armory really?" he asked, "and what did you think?"

"I…um, well—" she began but was luckily saved from answering when the servant reappeared through the doors carting a trolley in behind him. A mouthwatering smell was coming from a covered plate and Fleur felt her stomach growl in anticipation as the server efficiently set the table and once again backed discretely out of the room.

Dracula forced himself to remain calm as she evaded his question and then smirked wickedly as the huntress took a long sip from her goblet; _it was only a matter of time now._ The meal took place in relative silence as the huntress focused on her food and Dracula observed her closely over the top of his own goblet waiting for a sign that the drink was taking effect. Dracula frowned as time went by and nothing happened however his sour expression was quickly replaced with a triumphant grin when the mortal once again reached for her goblet only to clumsily hit the cup, nearly knocking it to the ground. With inhuman speed Dracula snatched the drink up before it could spill and set it softly back down on the table. He watched delighted as she blinked rapidly as if trying to clear her vision and lifted a hand to her face cradling her head. "Feeling unwell my pet?" he asked, not bothering to keep the taunting tone out of his voice.

The huntress' head shot up, her eyes, once filled with confusion now filled to the brim with anger. "You bastard," she snapped out venomously as she fought to bring the blurry image of the room back into focus, "what did you put in my cider?"

Dracula sent her an icy smile as he stood from his seat and slowly walked around her as if he were a predator looking down on its prey before finally coming to stand in front of her. "Just a little something to help you…_cooperate_," he said as he bent down and drew the unsteady woman to her feet. She swayed once before she steadied herself; Dracula watched coolly as she shook herself from his light grasp and turned away from him, her head still buried in her hand as the drink caused her head to spin sickeningly.

Fleur walked slowly to the front of the great fireplace and lifted her hand to rest on the mantle as she concentrated on keeping her thoughts blocked and her legs from buckling. She could only close her eyes and hope the spinning and flashing lights would cease but to her immense irritation, they continued to create bright flashes of light from behind her eyelids. She forced her eyes open when she felt the Count come up behind her and slip a cool arm smoothly around her waist before spinning her around to face him.

Dracula lifted a finger and gently forced the huntress's chin up, capturing her slightly unfocused gaze in his unwavering one. With a skill forged from hundreds of years of practice Dracula brutally assaulted the weakened barriers of her mind and smirked when they finally shattered causing the mortal to flinch in pain then panic. "Now," he said speaking slowly, "the rules are simple huntress. I will ask you a question, you will answer and answer honestly or I will find out for myself, is that understood?"

Fleur glared daggers at him as she fought to bring the blocks back up, but it was no use. He was already in her mind. "Bastard," she managed to get out despite the incessant pounding in her head. Dracula felt his smirk fall from his face when he noticed this and he purposefully tightened his grip on her causing her injured back and ribs to shoot agonizingly throughout her body. "Let's start with something simple," he began, ignoring her nearly inaudible hiss of pain, "what is your mother's name?"

"Anna," she snapped out hotly, "after my grandmother."

"Very good," Dracula mocked, "now, what is your father's name?"

Fleur remained silent. Dracula waited for a second before his patience wore out and he invaded her mind, looking for a memory, a thought, or a feeling that could tell him what he wanted to know. Fleur shut her eyes as the foreign feeling of Dracula's presence assaulted her mind making her feel exposed and violated. She twisted uselessly in his iron grip but only succeeding in hurting herself more. "Stop it!" she snapped out, gasping as the feeling of his presence threatened to overwhelm her.

Fleur felt him leave her mind and she abruptly slumped against his chest fighting off a wave of nausea. "Gawain; interesting choice of a name but I suppose I'm no judge," Dracula said and he could feel the anger radiating from her as he mocked her with her stolen thoughts. "You must have liked him very much, all your thoughts of him were very fond, although it's a shame you don't have more memories of him," he taunted enjoying it as she pushed herself back up into a standing position and braced her hands on his chest as fury burned in those emerald orbs. If she were a vampire he would have been worried but as it were her human body was stretched to its limits and Dracula enjoyed the pulsing feeling of power it sent through his veins.

"It wouldn't hurt so much if you would just cease trying to force me out—" he began but was abruptly cut off as the smart sting of a slap connected with his cheek, effectively snapping his head to one side as the echo of the slap resounded throughout the otherwise silent room. Fleur felt his grip tighten painfully and the air seemed to crackle with pent up rage as he turned his face back to her, menacing eyes glowing with horrible intensity, but she didn't care, it had been worth it. He would _not_ desiccate one of the few joyful memories that remained with her, he would _not._

"If I did not think it would be too easy," he said slowly, every syllable pulsing with strain as he fought not to simply kill the mortal on the spot, "I would be _bathing_ in your blood as we speak." As Fleur felt the throes of rage ebb back fear began to creep up her spine and she unwittingly reconsidered her decision; that had_ not _been wise.

"I had thought," he continued softly, his voice barely carrying over the crackle of the fire, "you had learned your lesson from yesterday. I was obviously mistaken but just so there is no more confusion, understand this mortal. You are only here under my authority. You are fed, protected, and allowed to live only because I wish it so. You have no rights. You have no say. You are nothing here!"

Fleur flinched and tried to back away but his nails had lengthened and dug excruciatingly into her back keeping her put. One of his hands shot out and gripped her chin. "Since you will not willing give me what I want, I will _take_ it," he said and his overpowering presence suddenly filled her mind once more as he searched for one of the things that had been bothering him all day.

Dracula ignored the way she squirmed in his arms trying to push him off and focused on finding her memory of yesterday in the parlor. He closed his eyes as he finally located it in the very back on her mind, as if she'd pushed it as far away as possible, and let the scene play in front of his eyes. It was strange watching everything from the mortal's perspective and even more disturbing that that was to feel the emotions that had taken hold of her just last night. He felt the anger, shame, humiliation, and fear that had possessed the woman as she had walked to the parlor; he had had no idea how sick she felt before she entered the room. He felt a flash of jealously shoot through him when she found comfort in his alpha leader's arms. He saw the looks his vampires had given her as she had approached his chair and felt the raw terror that had gripped her when he'd revealed his knowledge of her bloodline; he unconsciously loosened his hold on the mortal's tense body as he continued to watch. Skipping ahead he gazed furiously as he watched Gavin slip his hand up her dress and toy with her emotions as he would with his prey. Anger surged through his veins as Dracula thought of all the horrible things he was going to do to Gavin. His malevolent train of thoughts froze however when he listened to the thoughts running through the huntresses head as she sat pinned in Gavin's lap. _She didn't think I'd have helped her;_ he realized as he watched her look at him in the memory; something that felt suspiciously like guilt coiled uncomfortably in his gut before he pulled out of the memory. That was enough for today.

Fleur felt Dracula's presence recede from her mind and she let took an unsteady breath as slight tremors shot up and down her spine, sighing in relief as her mind became her own once more. Through the sheer power of her will, Fleur managed to stay on her feet and appear stronger than she was, despite the lightheadedness she still felt from whatever it was Dracula had put in her drink. Fleur looked into the azure of the count's eyes but could see nothing in the emotionless pools; he hid his thoughts and feeling better than anyone she'd ever met. "Find what you were looking for?" she spat at him once she'd caught her breath and felt a perverse pleasure go through her as his eyes once again heated in irritation. If words were the only way she could fight him, she thought, then so be it.

_Insolent little wretch_, Dracula thought, feeling every ounce of guilt or even pity vanish as if it had never been there and his demeanor reverting back to one of indifference and malice. Inwardly shaking away all other thoughts, Dracula smiled unpleasantly down at the mortal and felt a streak of pleasure go through him when she froze. "Indeed," he purred bending down to her ear and letting his breath tickle the sensitive skin, "It's a shame Gavin took my idea first." Dracula forced himself to ignore the look of hurt and panic that flashed across her features and instead focused on the way her heartbeat sped up making her sweet blood flow faster. His eyes grew brighter at the thought of finally having a taste of the little huntress.

Switching moods abruptly he gently tugged the mortal's body up against his, enjoying the warmth her body radiated through the thin silk of her gown as he smirked in delight. This was going to be quite enjoyable. The mortal's hand braced on his chest to push him away but Dracula ignored them and instead cupped her jaw in his palm and covered those alluring lips with his own before she could protest.

Fleur froze as the cold lips descended on hers and her mind seemed to cloud as she felt the subtle brush of Dracula's influence on her tired mind take hold. _Shush darling, _it cooed and Fleur could feel her body relax despite the panic she felt rising in her chest. A large hand pressed to the small of her back bringing her snuggly against the count's groin and her gasp of outrage was muffled as his tongue slipped between her parted lips.

_So sweet, _was Dracula's first thought as he teased the moist cavern of her mouth with seductive brushes and sweeps of his skilled tongue _,why in the world did I deny myself this for so long?_ He subdued her busy mind a little more forcefully and grinned into her lips as he felt her hands relax on his chest. Bringing his other hand from the mortal's waist Dracula lifted it to the back of the dress and felt around gently for the laces. Patiently undoing them with one hand, Dracula shifted his attention from the mortal's mouth to the soft skin of her jaw line, feeling his arousal heighten as a shiver swept down the woman's spine. _Finally._

Fleur felt tears of frustration sting her eyes as she struggled to maintain some sort of grip on the sensations burning inside her. She _knew_ she didn't want this, but her body didn't seem to be listening and with every stroke of his hand, brush of his tongue, grind of his body, Fleur could feel herself becoming more and more lost in the spiral of pleasure. _Just surrender_, the voice coaxed, _Relax, feel…enjoy_._ He won't hurt you, never again. You were meant be his; it's in your blood. Become his. He'll take care of you. Just give in. _

Fleur felt a tear slip down her cheek as she felt Dracula finish unlacing the last of her gown and pushed the material apart as he stroked her back, gently healing it with feather light touches that made her want to lean into his embrace. Lies. It was all lies, her mind screamed and she shuddered, she didn't want this. She didn't want this. Hands began smoothly pulling the gown off her shoulders and the feeling of those cold hands on her back and shoulders gave Fleur the shock she needed to snap out of her reverie.

"Stop," she said, and even though it was barely above a whisper she knew he heard her. But he didn't stop; the presence in her mind only became more intense and more insistent as it whispered sweet promises of safety and pleasure. "_Stop it,"_ she repeated her voice a little stronger even though it shook. Much to her surprise Dracula chuckled, the rumble sounding deep in his throat as he continued to tease the skin above the collar of her dress. "Shush now darling," he purred, as he reached up with on hand and began calmly unbuttoning the high neck of her gown to reveal tantalizing new skin, "You'll enjoy this, I promise."

Fleur tried to lift her hand to push his mouth away but he only grasped it firmly in one hand as the other slid her sleeve smoothly off. She could feel her resolve slowly slipping as he returned his mouth to hers and began once again drowning her in slow intoxicating kisses. So oblivious was she that she barely registered his wandering as they repeated their process to the remaining sleeve freeing the top of the dress from its last of its restraints.

Dracula felt his hands unconsciously clench as the lightweight silk slipped down, the gown catching at her waist but leaving her glowing torso bare for his hungry eyes as he continued to pleasure himself in the silken contours of the mortal's mouth. He could feel himself become more aroused as he let his eyes skim over the soft skin of her shoulders, the satiny valley of her breasts, the rosy pink of her puckered nipples, and down to the firm plane of her stomach. His fangs instinctively elongated and his hardened member pressed uncomfortably against the ties of his pants. _Delicious. _Dracula continued to soothe the mortal's frantic mind as he watched the firelight dance off her golden skin – he thought she looked like a gypsy with her dark curling hair and gave in to the urge to run a hand through the silky tresses. _Oh how worthy the prize was compared to the conquest_, he thought as the dark locks slipped like water through his fingers, _more than worth it. _

Fleur was floating; soft touches and silky words clouding her mind as her lashes lowered and her body simply reveled in the pleasure that was heating her blood. She could feel Dracula's grip tighten around her waist and his lips leave hers to travel once again seductively down her exposed neck. Somewhere in the recesses of her brain a voice cried out in protest and alarm; alas she was too lost to answer. Her body unconsciously arched and leaned closer to the cool caresses of the count as his hands stroked her back and she lay her head quietly to rest on his shoulder. By chance she glanced over the count's shoulder and everything inside her froze.

Her pupils dilated dramatically and a choked scream caught in her as the image of her half-bare self stared back at her from the dark reflection of the great bay windows. She felt goose bumps cover her body and tears of shock and shame sting her eyes as she stood rigid, caught in the shocking image of herself – bare, flushed, standing alone in the lit chambers as the ends of her hair mysteriously moved as an invisible hand stroked through it.

Her foot took a step back as if of its own accord and Fleur found her panicky gaze locked within the eerie stare of the count's as he raised his head from its ministrations. Azure orbs burning with a combination of desire and bloodlust stared down at her and Fleur had to bite her lip to stop the whimper that bubbled up in her throat. "Something wrong my pet?" he purred huskily as he bent his head and lightly grazed the sensitive skin of her neck with the sharp point of his elongated canines. Fleur's hands curled into balls and she snapped her eyes shut; all traces of heat long gone from her body as she froze in terror.

Suddenly the spell was broken as the echoing sound of someone pounding on the door reverberated throughout the chamber. Fleur's eyes instantly reopened at the sound and she twisted abruptly out of the count's loose grasp; unintentionally creating a shallow cut on her neck from Dracula's razor-sharp teeth as she jerked her head away. "My lord I have important news extracted from the rebel leader!" came a voice through the thick doors.

Dracula ran his tongue sensually over the drop of blood that coated his tooth, savoring the sweet taste of freshly spilled blood. His eyes pulsated with the intensity of it and he concealed a violent shudder that ran down his entire body as he watched with cold amusement as the mortal turned away – an arm braced across her chest protecting what scrap of dignity she could salvage. Dracula could feel his body screaming for some kind of completion, be it in blood or pleasure, when another round of insistent pounding came from other side of the chamber door; "My lord the prisoner has revealed that the rebel lord is housed only a few hours from here! If we leave now—" Dracula sighed in frustration, forcefully controlling the primal urges that threatened to control him as he calmed his body. This was the break he'd been waiting for weeks for, to finally be rid of that damned dissenter once and for all…and yet, his priorities seemed to be compromised at the moment.

Dracula took another glace at the figure that had retreated to the far side of the chamber as he considered his options but unexpectedly felt his stomach clutch as the firelight flickered over the huntress's bare back. Long pale lines covered the entire expanse of her darkened back leaving only a thin strip of smooth unmarred skin over her spine. The spidery web of scars lay smooth against her back but seemed to gleam with the unnatural texture of long healed wounds and Dracula could tell from experience some of the scars couldn't be less than a decade or two old. _Just how old had she been when she'd first felt the sting of a whip?_ He wondered.

The heat gradually died from his eyes as he watched the mortal fumble pathetically with the fastenings of her gown as she struggled to hide herself from his overly observant eyes and Dracula nearly curled his fist in anger; at least _he_ had had the decency to heal her without leaving her marred and ashamed. Dracula didn't need to see the mortal's face to hear the rapid beat of her heart, the uneven breathing punctuated by suppressed sobs, or the distinct sound of a single tear drop shattering against the cold stone floors. _And I don't want to,_ he reminded himself. Pushing the uncharacteristic trickle of emotions aside, Dracula donned the familiar stony expression that left him impervious to the hurts of mortal hearts. To be vulnerable was to be weak, and if there was anything Vladislaus Dragulia was not, it was weak.

Dracula turned towards the door; he had a country to conquer, a race to exterminate, and a demagogue to detain – there would be time enough for a quick romp with the mortal later. Opening the door to leave Dracula couldn't help but sense the fleeting sting of hurt that radiated through the mortal's body as he swept out of the chamber. He would deal with this newest development later…

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**Hehe, this chapter was kind of hard to write because I wanted Drac/Fleur to have a scene and yet I culdn't make her too comfortable (which she is obviously not) or Dracula too human (which is def a challenge) or for things to move too fast or too slow and I had so many thing I wanted to include in this chapter and I didn't even get to put in a lot of stuff I wanted too. URG! But in the end I'm satisfied with how I left it. I hope you enjoyed reading it more than I did writing it.**

**TEASER:::: ok, I'll probably include a little more Caliburn and see how Fleur reacts to him now that she's seen him in his wolf form. I plan on talking a bit about our 'cobalt eye' guy, maybe a little about where the hell Damien went, and hopefully be able to include a small Lucus scene. This should be fun…**

**OK REVIEW BECAUSE I STILL HAVE NOT BEAT MY RECORD AND IT'S DEPRESSING ME!!!! **


	17. Sweet Morning

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CHAPTER 17

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Fleur heard Dracula leave the room, effectively abandoning her to the deserted chambers to deal with her pain alone. There was a burn in her chest that spoke of shame and rage; so closely intertwined it was hard for the distraught huntress to tell them apart. Fleur wanted to sink into oblivion as the fresh memories of Dracula assault, both physical and mental, replayed with sickening accuracy through her battered and still-disoriented mind. In some ways it was a rape of her mind, her thoughts and feelings that she kept so closely guarded -- violated in ways human men would never even dream of doing. She began shivering uncontrollably.

Fleur's skin was a shade paler than her normal tan glow and despite her best efforts she couldn't seem to bring her shaking hands under control as she fought to retie the uncooperative laces of her gown. While the general circumstances had Fleur seething and in angry tears, she was also frustrated…frustrated at herself for falling for the count's mind games, frustrated at the vampire for acting as though he had some kind of right to treat her so, and frustrated with the situation for being so painfully hopeless. Rubbing her eyes with the heel of her hand Fleur wiped away the unshed tears and frowned as her throat continued to burn with suppressed emotions; although whether it was a sob, scream, or shout Fleur wanted to release, she couldn't tell.

The soft sound of the chamber door opening had Fleur spinning around. Tentatively, as though unsure of how to approach her, Calibun entered the room quietly – his green eyes regarding her with apprehension and worry.

"The master sent me up to see to you. Are you alright?" he asked, and tried to ignore the stab of disappointment as her back went rigid and her demeanor once again became guarded and cautious. It had only been a fanciful hope that she hadn't seen him earlier in his beast form; obviously a wish that hadn't come true.

"I'm fine," came the curt response as Fleur tried to balance her troubled thoughts as she eyed the approaching figure warily. She wanted so much to be able to trust him, or anyone for that matter, and believe, if only for a bit, that he was the kind person that had comforted her on her first night in Bucharest…and then the sickened image of him savagely attacking the lesser vampire filled her mind and her stomach involuntarily turned. _Monster_, her training told her, _they are all the same. They are monsters, beasts, animals; they kill indiscriminately, without conscience or remorse. _

"Don't look at me like that Fleur," Caliburn said, his eyes almost pleading as he came to stand in front of her.

"How am I supposed to look at you?" she answered honestly in a hushed voice, "I had this image of you…and you destroyed it; and it hurt me. I knew you were a werewolf but I--… I don't know what to think."

"I'm sorry if you saw a part of me you didn't like," he said, his eyes shinning with regret, "but you should know that the wolf in me is as much as part of my life as the man, if not more so. We live in times of war and survival is not a pretty game, I am what I am because I need to be, not necessarily because I want to be. I can only hope our friendship won't suffer because of this."

Fleur stood silent for a second, her eyes searching Caliburn's as his words sunk in. "I think I can accept that," she said slowly, "but I must ask you." She braced for the answer, "Do you enjoy it?"

A look of obvious surprise and appall covered Caliburn's face and Fleur felt a sting of shame for even asking. "No, of course not," he said, truth shining from his eyes like a beacon, "I won't lie that in the midst of battle I may get caught up in the bloodlust; _that_ I am not ashamed of, for even men find themselves trapped in the throes of battle. But no, I do not enjoy the kill; to rob someone of the chance to live is not an ability I am proud of."

Fleur's shoulders relaxed a bit in relief as the tension drained out of them. "There are some who are," she said, a violent shiver running through her as the unbidden sight of Dracula's blood-stained talons flashed through her mind. She had no doubt he craved the kill; enjoyed it. It would be one thing if he did it to survive; survival was something Fleur understood - but killing to quench a thirst for the power was something completely different and something she could not understand. She killed to survive, not as a sport - a fact that had rendered her painstakingly useless as a soldier yet perfect for a tracker. She did not kill, she only hunted.

Caliburn seemed to become aware of something suddenly as Flelur watched his nostrils flare as he sniffed the air. "I smell blood," he said softly, "did he bite you?"

Fleur's hand unconsciously clenched; the possibility of him biting her hadn't even occurred to her. She'd stayed far too long in the lands of man; torture, rape, and degradation were things she was accustomed too. The possibility of her captor _feeding _on her was not. "No," she whispered, though the possibility of what might have been visibly shook her, "no, he didn't."

Caliburn watched as the huntress paled further but felt relief wash over him like a wave at her answer. _At least he hadn't bit her …yet…_ "Come," he said, gently reaching out to grasp her arm and lead her out of the chamber but abruptly stilled when she flinched away from his touch. Caliburn felt a surge of loathing shoot through his veins for his master but forcefully pushed back the anger. Now was not the time.

"Fleur, it's okay, I'm not going to hurt you. I promise," he said softly, reaching out again. This time she didn't move away but Caliburn saw her muscles tense. Gently slipping down to hold her hand he was taken back by how badly she was shaking; she hid it well.

"Caliburn?" came a hesitant voice and the alpha leader looked down at her; she wouldn't meet his eyes. "My gown, I-I can't get the ties, c-could you…please?"

Wordlessly he turned her around but stopped dead as the same sight that had stunned the count greeted his eyes. Caliburn watched as her back tensed, waiting for his reaction and he realized how much it had cost her to ask for his help. He doubted she trusted many people enough to share this with them. Not saying anything, mostly because there was nothing _to_ say, Caliburn gently redid the fastening of her gown before leading her silently out of the chamber.

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Caliburn felt aggravation rise in his chest at his uselessness and cursed himself once again. It burned him to watch the huntress simply sit numbly in front of the fire, watching the flames dance with glazed eyes. He wondered faintly if she was in some kind of mild shock and scowled as he noticed her hands were still shaking even with the warmth of the fire so near. She'd barely spoken a word after they'd returned to the master's chambers and despite Caliburn's best efforts nothing seemed to soothe the mortal.

"Fleur, come now, you're exhausted and it's late. You need a good night's sleep," Caliburn coaxed, coming to sit next to her on the narrow divan.

She only shook her head and leaned away from his touch as he reached out to comfort her. "No," she said, her voice slightly raw, "Please, I don't want to be touched right now. I'm going to stay up for a while. I just- I need to see the sunrise. I need to feel the sun, see the light."

Caliburn nodded, reluctantly resigned to the fact that he couldn't comfort her right now; she wouldn't let him. He stood and came to crouch in front of her, lightly grasping a cold hand in his noticeably warmer one, and forced her gaze to meet his. "I'm going to draw you a bath okay?" he said softly, relief shooting through him as her eyes finally seem to lighten a bit. She nodded and gave his hand a brave squeeze.

It wasn't very reassuring but the gesture satisfied Caliburn. "You'll have almost complete privacy so don't worry about any visitors," he added, "the master took most of his high bloods on the rebel hunt so they shouldn't be back till morning." "Although," he mused with disdain, "they'll probably be celebrating well into the day in the lower chambers. I don't know why but a hunt always seems to put the purebloods in high spirits."

Fleur felt disgust wash over her but said a quick 'thank you' to Caliburn as he left her to her privacy. _A bath_, she thought closing her eyes in languid delight at the prospect. The first thing she wanted to do was scrub every inch of her body and hope the burn of icy finger tips along with the chilling memories would wash away with the warm, soapy water.

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Dracula clenched his talons in rage as he gazed around the empty storehouse. _They'd arrived too late._ Boxes of deadly looking weapons were overturned, open bottles of blood lay half full, and the room still had the stench of lesser blood vampires; it was obvious whoever had been here had left in a rush. _They'd been so close!_ Dracula paced in irritation; this rebel lord had been a constant thorn in his side for last couple decades but it was only in the last twenty years the rebels had openly defied Dracula's authority. He'd intended to stomp it out before it got too far but now it seemed it was too late; Dracula muttered a string of Romanian curses under his breath. _How dare they think they even have a chance against me!_ He thought as he imagined breaking each individual bone in the faceless rebels' bodies.

His violent line of thought was interrupted however as one of his lesserblood soldiers approached him. "I think we've found something my king," he said as he dropped into a quick bow and offered Dracula a single sealed envelope. "we found this is the back room," he continued, "it's addressed to you."

Dracula narrowed his eyes in annoyance and plucked the letter from his hand. Turning it over curiously his eyes narrowed on the dark blue wax that fastened the letter shut. Trapped in the seal was the imprint of raven in flight but no family crest.

Impatiently ripping the letter open Dracula pulled the thin sheet of parchment out and began to read the heavy handwriting.

_My Esteemed Count- _

_It seems my raid did go not quite as planned today but have no worries; the next time it will not be lesser blood that coats the halls of your mansion. I must say for an old bat you surprise me – I hadn't quite expected you to react so flawlessly; finally an opponent worth my time. _

_Much to my displeasure it seems I've had to abandon this particular hideout in a most hasty manner so I welcome you to enjoy the blood and swords. Be careful with my toys old bat, they're sharp. _

_In closure I'd like to warn you, do not underestimate me. You may have won the cold blood of the night, but it seems I will be drinking the sweet blood of the morning. Don't worry; perhaps I shall leave you some. Enjoy your rest Count, you will need it. _

It was left unsigned and Dracula narrowed his eyes in puzzlement at the cheeky rebel's parting statement. _The sweet blood of the morning?_ Scowling in annoyance Dracula turned and motioned to Lucus that it was time to move out; the sun would be rising soon and the last thing he needed was his highbloods to be caught in the dawning rays. Dracula sighed and rolled his shoulders to loosen the tight muscles; he needed some soothing music, some spiced blood and a warm female – luckily he had all those waiting for him back at the mansion.

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Fleur walked slowly out of the bathroom; her skin still steaming from the warm water and her face flushed. She pushed the curling strands of her still-damp hair out of her face and came to stand next to the side of the great bed where she found a soft cotton nightgown the color of clouds laid out for her. She silently thanked Caliburn and dropped her towel to slip the loose material over her head. It was long sleeved with a modest scooping neck line and went all the way to the floor to brush the tops of her bare feet. The embers of the fire still shone brightly in the fireplace and the air was warm but the stone walls and flickering lights offered no comfort to the still-shaky woman.

Instead she crossed the room and came to stand in front of the balcony doors that were securely covered behind a think dark curtain. Pushing it aside Fleur felt a kind of urgency well up in her chest; she needed to feel the air and see the sun. It had been so long since she'd felt either and her body yearned for it like a parched man thirsted for water. Much to her relief and delight, the balcony doors were unlocked so she brought her hands up and pushed the terrace doors wide open and she walked out. The first rays of morning were just peeking over the horizon and the chill of the air left Fleur shivering, but it was worth it besides, she didn't plan on staying outside for long, just enough to see the sunrise.

The sky was a dusty pink and orange where the light touched it and Fleur shut her eyes letting the warmth of the sun fight off the cool of the air. Coming to stand on the end of the balcony Fleur looked below and was surprised to see that beyond the mansion gates the streets were empty but for the occasional werewolf. Apparently lesser vampires still didn't like the light, even if they didn't turn to ashes in it. Placing her hands on the cold edge of the balcony Fleur leaned over, trying to see if there was anyway she might escape should the chance arrive…

"It would be a shame if one so lovely as you should fall," a sudden cold voice came from behind her. Surprised Fleur spun around at the voice and her gaze fell on a man that had hidden in the shadows of the balcony. His body was covered head to toe in a dark cloak but Fleur could see the handsome line of his face brushed by the almost-white fall of his hair and the soft predatory glow of his cobalt eyes. The look in them had her guard coming up and she immediately glanced at the balcony doors judging how far away they were. As if reading her mind the man purposefully stepped between them and her and came closer.

"What are you doing out here? This is Dracula's private balcony, I don't think he'd approve of strange vampires using it," she said with false poise in her voice, something about this vampire was off.

The man stepped into the light and Fleur blinked in surprise; for one that radiated such a sense of confidence in his step she never would have guessed he was a lesser vamp; all the others she'd seen seemed to melt into the woodwork where as this one stood out like an angel in the darkness.

"I'm sure your master won't mind," he said smoothly and Fleur felt her neck prickle, _her master but not his?_ "Besides," he continued coming to stand unsettlingly near, "he's currently pilfering my lair; it's only right I should be able to do the same."

Fleur felt as though someone had dumped ice down her gown and she became very still, _his lair_. She unconsciously bit her lip as she realized what this meant; he was the rebel lord Dracula had left to execute, he was the one who sent all those vampires to their deaths earlier, he was the one with promises of death… Fleur bolted for the door.

Obviously he still had some of his full vampire power because he moved before she'd taken more than two steps. Wrapping a muscular arm securely around her waist Fleur was thrown roughly back against the balcony railing, trapped between it and his body. Her injured ribs shot a piercing pain down her body and Fleur's audible cry of pain was muffled against a cold, gloved hand. Fear had Fleur's emerald eyes darkening as the vampire bent close, his sharpened canines lightly grazing against the skin of her exposed neck. Her arms were pinned uselessly between their bodies and Fleur couldn't even get her knee in position to slam him in his more sensitive male area; her only option was to go deathly still.

"I wish I could say I was sorry my sweet," he purred, his hand still covering her mouth, "but your master trespassed today. I do not let that go by so easily." His eyes flashed in controlled anger and his grip tightened on her jaw. "Don't worry lovely," he whispered as he forced her head to one side, "this will only hurt for a moment or two."

Fleur realized what he was going to do a second before fangs sunk sickeningly into her neck. She felt the delicate skin tear and the cool feel of his canines descend into her flesh; her body gave an involuntary jerk as the burning sting shot down her neck all the way down her toes and her eyes glazed over in shock and pain. Fleur felt his hand drop from her mouth and gently cup her cheek was he continued to feast from her neck. His body slowly eased off and an instinctive whimper slipped through Fleur's parted lips as he bit deeper into her neck. She could feel herself becoming more and more drained by the second as the vampire's arms wrapped tightly around her body, holding her up when her legs gave out.

Lowering her gently to the cold stone of the balcony the vampire cradled her limp figure almost lovingly his arms as Fleur fought against the darkness that was already threatening the edges of her vision. Her hands curled and she tried to push him away but he only captured them in his iron grasp and held them tightly in her lap. Blood was pounding her head and she couldn't feel her legs by the time the vampire released her and Fleur felt bile rise in her throat as her blood dripped from his chin to stain her nightgown.

"Why?" she managed to rasp out, her voice scratchy and dry in her throat as tears filled her eyes for what felt like the millionth time that night. W_hy was it people always sought her blood?_ She thought, and then closed her eyes as the pounding in her head became too much.

Fleur felt the cold seep through her nightgown as he laid her on the stone and she shivered uncontrollably as she reached up to cover her neck with a hand. Warm, sticky fluid quickly coated her fingers and she wrapped her other arm tightly around her middle trying to ward off the cold._ Please let someone come, _she thought as she lay there, too drained to even open her eyes as the lesser vamp loomed over her, _please let someone come._ Alas she was alone and the undead rebel was not done with her…

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**So I was actually going to include a whole other segment but decided to save that for next chapter HA! –lol sorry guys- so you'll just have to wait till probably…Saturday? I know four days…it's gonna be tough. **

**In other news 84 Reviews! Awesome! Didn't beat the record but o'well, there's always next chapter –or this chapter- : ) **

**Over 2,300 hits; that's exciting and like…20ish alerts? Yeah I'm happy.**

**Ok TEASER TIME:::: Hm, who will find Fleur and what will this cobalt-eyed vampire have done to her? –suspenseful music- How will Dracula react? Will he go after this rebel lord? And if he does will he catch him? What will he do to him? and when will he finally get the chance to move his army out? Plus Damien is still stuck on that freaking secret mission; and I believe I shall reveal a secret about Caliburn. Maybe. Has anyone wondered why he always seems to be babysitting Fleur? Hehe, all that be reveled next time on Gabriel's Mark….or at least ****some**** stuff will be reveled, sometimes I just lie about what happens. –bad!- **

**REVIEW! I NEED ALL THE CONFIDENCE I CAN GET – I HAVE A SPANISH PRESENTATION AND A MATH TEST TOMARROW!!! …damn ****all****… **


	18. To Sooth

**Uh, please don't eat me. I know I told you I'd have this up by last Saturday but...I lied. FORGIVE ME FAITHFUL READERS! I am not worthy... ; ) **

**SHOUTOUTS FOR THIS CHAPTER::: ****Nienna Simarwen, ForeverACharmedOne, Elwyndra, Gem Of The Stars, Shoysrock, violetrose1, Shorty1975, VintrageLyre, and my newest reviewers -- xxblueeyesxx & SpyOfHogwarts!!! YAY! plus my ever-faithful cheryljulia, TopGallant, and Anon E. Mouse (whom I am looking forward to her review; I think she's saving up till I give her an absolutly fimonimal chapter) **

**Enjoy. I apologize for my inconsistancy. Life is stressful...but hey when is it not? **

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CHAPTER 18

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Dracula sat comfortably in his great oak chair that sat against the back wall in one of the lower parlors as his high bloods discussed the hunt in hushed tones around him. His eyes were filled with irritation and the goblet in his hand threatened to shatter under his iron grip. This rebel lord was an irritation he did not need! His plans for invading Conrad's kingdom should take first priority in his mind and now this pathetic excuse for a 'lord' dared to challenge him! Dracula's scowl became even more pronounced as he brooded; he had met many rebel 'lords' over the years, each thinking they had what it took to take him down…each failing miserably with Dracula's hands around their insignificant necks. This one was no different.

The style was a bit more refined, but the tactics were the same. Stealth interrupted by bursts of brute force; _when will they learn that I always win, no matter the battle strategy? _

"Gavin," he said suddenly, breaking his stony silence. The king's first lord looked up. "I need this rebel taken care of before I move west with the army; you will make sure he causes us no more problem," Dracula stated, the look in his eyes flashing dangerously.

The high lord nodded his understanding and Dracula stood; they had arrived just as the sun's rays started to peak over the horizon before retreating to the lower chambers to discuss battle plans; it had been a long day and he yearned to slip within the cool confines of his coffin. Materializing out of the chamber Dracula returned to his bedroom.

The first thing he noticed was the chill to the air and he saw that the terrace doors were cracked open; the cold air rushing in from outside. Walking over he heard for the first time the weak patter of a heartbeat that was coming from the balcony. Quickening his step Dracula reached the terrace doors and threw them open, the foreign feeling of alarm shooting down his spine as he spied the limp dark haired figure curled in a ball on the stone floor of the balcony. In a flash he was bent down beside the mortal, anger surging through every fiber of his being; if she died he would have Caliburn's head. Gently he brushed back her hair and surveyed the damage; her lashes were drawn together, shutting her eyes from the world but they fluttered every couple seconds as if she was still fighting for consciousness - the hand that clenched her neck was covered in blood. _That bastard bit her!_ Dracula's mind roared in outrage as he brought his clenched fists to his sides in an effort to control himself; _that honor should have been __**mine.**_ Blood now stained half of the once soft, white material of the mortal's nightgown, but besides that, she was trembling violently, although from the pain or cold, Dracula was unsure.

Forcing himself he to be gentle when all he really wanted to do was smash something, Dracula bent down and gathered the curled form of the woman securely in his arms. Immediately a small sound of distress slipped out of her chapped lips and her body arched away but the king didn't so much as glance at her as he tightened his hold and strode back inside the chamber – the balcony doors slamming shut of their own accord in his wake. A glance to the fireplace had the slowly dying embers dancing to life in a roaring orange flame, cackling merrily in the silent chamber as the Count sat down on the side of the great bed, the semi-conscious woman huddled against his chest. Brushing her matted hair back Dracula gripped her clenched hand and tried to move it away from her neck to see the bite, but the mortal only curled tighter into a ball and refused to relax her hand.

"It's okay darling, I'm not going to hurt you," he soothed in a slightly strained voice before pulling her hand away forcibly and instead letting it curl around his neck as he shifted her, laying her head firmly on his shoulder and allowing her legs to dangle freely over the side of his lap, "I only want to see…" Tilting her jaw up he scowled at the duel bite marks that marred the smooth skin of her alabaster neck, feeling a fresh wave of rage wash over him. The bites were deep with significant bruising already appearing around the puncture wounds – blood continued to trickle ever so slightly down her neck. Dracula inhaled sharply as the pungent smell of the sweet blood once again assaulted his senses and he clenched his jaw as he passed his hand over her neck, focusing intently on healing the gaping holes and watching with satisfaction as they slowly shrank in size before disappearing completely.

He felt the huntress relax, if only slightly, as the pain receded however her left arm was still clenched tightly to her chest and the other wrapped securely around his neck as if he was the last thing she had left to hold onto in this bleak world. Suddenly he noticed the corner of a scrap of parchment grasped tightly in her fist as she held it against her breast in a death grip. Prying her fingers open Dracula snagged the crumpled parchment and brought her other arm up around his neck as he absently rubbed her back with one hand while smoothing the paper open with the other.

_A sweet maiden with sweeter blood, I can see why you let her warm your bed old bat; quite the tasty little morsel. Perhaps next time you will protect your possessions more carefully, or you may just find yourself without any at all. I let you keep her today, it will not be so the next time. I warned you once, do not underestimate me._

_Should you wonder my name, now that I have your attention, you need only listen to your pet. She will be crying my name out in her sleep for nights to come. Do tell her I enjoyed our conversation. Till next time Count._

Eyes pulsing with an energy that made the very air crackle with power, Dracula clenched his hand so hard around the balled up letter that when he opened his palm the only remains were tiny particles of the arrogant vampire's parting words. _How dare he! _Part of his anger came directly from the rebel's words,but the rest of it stemmed from the fact that the now familiar heavy handwriting had been written not in ink, but in the same alluring blood that stained the neck of his pet's nightgown. His eyes scanned over her body and Dracula spotted a fresh wound that was still bleeding slightly beneath the front of her collar. His hands still shaking in suppressed rage the vampire was rougher than he meant to be as he tugged down the neckline of the mortal's gown and felt an uncharacteristic pang of regret shoot through him as she instinctively shied away from his violent movements. Gentling his touch Dracula could only radiate the anger as he coaxed the material down and spied the spot directly above her left breast where the insurgent had repeatedly cut into her skin with the sharp point of his talon as he composed his letter.

The cut was deep and in the obvious shape of a "J" - Dracula could only wonder what kind of impact the experience would leave on his pet. _He probably traumatized the girl_, he thought scowling and lightly brought his hand to cover the raw skin as he healed it. _I'd rather be damned a thousand times over before I let another man mark what is mine. _His suspicions were confirmed when he made contact with her skin and she once again flinched away from his touch, her arms tightening ironically enough around his neck even as her body arched further away from him, a soft whimper of fear escaping from her lips.

Satisfied that all her physical wounds were taken care of, Dracula let power run through his hands and immediately the tattered, bloody remains of her nightgown disappeared and were replaced with a cool, silk nightdress of dark green. _She should always wear green_, he thought remembering her eyes. He then smoothed a hand down her hair, the blood disappearing and the locks returning to their silky texture once more. The gesture seemed to calm the now-silent huntress and he felt her arms relax a fraction, her constant trembles lessening with each pass of his hand; little did he realize that the action seemed to have the same effect on him as his anger was soon forgotten and he simply watched the woman slip into a deeper sleep that was free from pain and fear.

Careful not to jolt her he smoothly leaned back into the bed; gently fitting the mortal against the curve of his body and smirking slightly when he felt her hands softly come to rest on his chest. Her sigh was almost inaudible as he brought the sheets up to her chin and turned her head more fully into the protection of his chest. _Such an easily pleased creature, _he thought as he gazed down at the chestnut crown of her head; had it not been a mere few hours ago that she'd slapped him for taking what was not his? _But you __**are**__ mine little mortal,_ he thought silently before scowling as he thought about the self-proclaimed rebel lord touching her; he had gone to far this night. He had insulted a king, trespassed onto his domain, and toyed with his pet; Dracula would not stand for it.

Suppressing the anger that threatened to bubble over at the mere thought of the morning's visitor, Dracula instead made his clothes disappear and grinned slyly as he tucked the now-warm mortal closer to his naked form. He would deal with the rebel come morning, he thought, but for now he was content enough to lie with the rare pleasure of a now steady heartbeat and warm limbs against his dead body.

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_She was in a grand ballroom with lights seemed to flash and glitter with each movement made as she spun in a circle taking it all in. Beautiful couples danced gracefully around her and the sweet sound of music filled the air as everything sparkled with grandeur. Suddenly the air seemed to become chilled, dark and thick with a new presence as the music changed from sweeping melodies to a haunting tune. Fleur spun desperately around looking for the light, but it was gone, only the forbidding sense of danger was left in it's wake. A sudden unnatural wind swept through the ballroom and a figure stepped out from the crowd; he was of an average height and on the heavy side with thick arms and big hands. His dark copper beard hid the permanent frown Fleur knew graced his face but nothing could mask the hate in his eyes; hate for her. Fleur took a step back as he approached only to bump into someone. _

_Spinning around she came face to face with a tall man who had golden hair and looked at her with eyes so like her own, yet so strikingly different. They lacked warmth and understanding; Fleur unconsciously took a step back from the man's gaze as he watched her with an expression one would reserve for examining a poisonous bug: speculation, wariness, and a degree of disgust. Fleur slowly retreated before feeling a stone pillar against her back, preventing any further escape attempts. _

_Three more figures emerged from the crowd - each so different in their own respects and yet it seemed ironic that Fleur's subconscious should group them together. The youth with sable hair and hazel eyes that once looked at her with adoration now stared at her with frustration and rage in his eyes that sparkled with a hint of malice and lust. The ebony haired vampire walked beside the young man – his smile taunting and manipulative and those azure eyes emanating centuries of power and knowledge. _

_The five men approached Fleur from all sides and she felt panic rise in her chest as they cornered her in. _

"_Don't worry lovely," the last figure sneered, pushing back his hood to reveal striking platinum blonde hair and a handsome face, "This will only hurt for a moment…or two." _

"_I promise you'll enjoy it," the vampire king drawled. _

"_Don't bother," said the hazel-eyed youth with eyes full of contempt, "she'll only tease you. Dangle herself in front of you and then run away like the whore and coward she is." _

"_Indeed, a whore. So much like her slut of a mother," scorned the bearded man, "The resemblance is so clear; a relief only you received her bad blood." _

"_Quite," agreed the tall blonde man, "So fortunate she only passed on that accursed mark to you dear sister. I doubt my subjects would follow me should I have Betrayer blood running through my veins."_

"…_Mm…Betrayer blood; a delicacy you must taste my king…"_

_"…I'm looking forward to it..."_

_"…Damn harlot..."_

_"…Teasing wench of a woman..." _

_"…traitorous bitch, not even worth the effort…_

_"…if it wasn't for your father…" _

_"…so sweet, rolls off your tongue…" _

_Fleur felt a cold swear break out as terror gripped her insides in a vice-like hold. She bolted before they got any closer but seemed to run in slow motion as her stalkers effortlessly caught her and began tossing her roughly between them in a circle. Each statement brought a memory, and at each memory a sharp pain seemed to shoot through her, slowly wearing down the emotional walls she'd built over the years. The men who haunted her sleep all stood in this circle, callous remarks hurting like slaps to the face and chilling threats sending her heartbeat galloping. She couldn't get out…she couldn't escape…_

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Dracula woke yet again to the familiar erratic race of the mortal's heart, his eyes opening in habit as he searched for her form, knowing all too well he would find her curled up, her legs bent towards her chest and her arms wrapped securely around whatever she could find – a pillow, a blanket, even herself. Pushing himself up to rest on his elbow, Dracula gazed across the bed and found the mortal huddled in the furthest corner – today's victim being a large down pillow she had clasped to her chest.

Reaching over he pulled her tense form closer. _She shouldn't even __**be**__ dreaming,_ he thought bitterly, _with that much blood loss she should be unconscious or in a deep sleep. Not fidgeting around all night and having those damned dreams. _Against his will, he remembered the rebel's words about her calling out his name in her sleep and Dracula was suddenly thankful she hadn't spoken yet tonight; he didn't think he could control his rage if she called out that dissenter's name before she called out his. One of the many rules of the vampire king's chambers; the only name any female called out in her sleep had better be his or there would be serious consequences.

Leaning over her sprawled figure Dracula did the only thing he'd yet done to soothe the huntress; he stroked her hair. Softly, and careful not to touch her in any other way, he caressed the cool tresses and smirked in triumph as the mortal relaxed under his ministrations, her breathing having slowed down and her dreams finally dissipating. Dracula felt like a king; or at least more of one.

Laying back down Dracula slipped once again into sleep; this time with a satisfied smirk on his face instead of an irritated scowl.

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"I'll have no excuses!" Dracula roared at his alpha leader early the next day, his wrath and temper returning stronger than ever and finding an outlet on the unfortunate werewolf, "Please Caliburn, remind me what I _specifically_ ordered you to do it."

Caliburn struggled not to shrink under his master's furious gaze; he felt guilty enough about not being there for the human when she'd been attacked, having the Count rant at him about idiocy and noncompliance was just what he needed to top it all off. "I was to befriend her—" he began when Dracula interjected.

"Ah! The _single_ thing you have done so far. A bit _too well_ for my liking," he added, his eyes still reeling with irritation, "and next?"

"I was to extract any and all useful information from her," Caliburn continued.

"Yes," Dracula continued with a slight sneer to his tone, "_useful information._ So far all you have to report back to me is that she is a very cautious and contact-shy woman who likes gardens and has probably had a hard childhood; _save me your sentiments Caliburn. _I want battle plans, human strategies she may have overheard while at court, weak points in Conrad's defense, _something_ worth reporting! If you do not have something of substance to report back to me when I return from this rebel hunt with Gavin you will be relieved of your duties and I will just have to find someone else to get the information, and trust me, the next time we will be using a much more _direct _approach."

Caliburn inwardly cringed; Dracula's _direct approach_ usually consisted of many hours of pain under Gavin's personal supervision. "I mean no disrespect my lord," the alpha leader interjected, "but I don't understand why you're asking me to find these things out. Could you not simply enter her mind and find them yourself?" _Plus spare me the pain of using her like this and hear the pain of being forced to betray her kingdom. _

Dracula sighed with resigned annoyance, _how many times did he have to explain this?_ "Do you know how many memories a person can hold over the course of their life?" he asked exasperatedly, "trillions of trillions if not more; the information I got out of her yesterday was general – her parent's names are things that have been repeated in her brain for years and years. Specific memories, like the night in the parlor, I could find because I already knew _when _it occurred. So unless you give me some kind of date or specific time period; it's like searching the ocean for a single specific fish; _there are just too many memories._ _That_ is why I ordered you to befriend her, make her trust you, let her consol in you, and then _use her!_"

Caliburn could have flinched at the crude words that left his master's mouth and he felt a sting of guilt deep in his chest; he hated to use the mortal like this, but his master was his master and duty was duty. Nothing stood in the way of that.

"Now," Dracula continued, "what was the final thing I ordered you to do?"

"Watch over her," Caliburn replied, the burn of guilt flashing once again through him.

"_Exactly,"_ the vampire king replied, "and you failed me yesterday. You will be punished." Caliburn nodded obediently. "Go down to the dungeons and tell Gavin to give you forty lashes, and when he's done kindly inform him that you will give him a hundred lashes – for touching my property. Is that understood?"

Caliburn swallowed and gave the master a quick 'yes milord' before bowing deeply and retreating respectfully from the room. He wondered vaguely what Gavin could have done to put the master in such an ill mood.

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For three tiresome and gloomy days Fleur stayed bedridden under the specific orders of Rumus and the ever watchful eyes of Caliburn. Her meeting with the rebel lord had left her weak and, against her will, more shaken than she'd ever admit and her nights continued to be filled with dreams that sent the cold rush of fear coursing through her veins. Sometimes memories would morph together; the pulsing eyes of the Count with the blond hair of the dissenter, Damien sinking his fangs into her in the cave, the parlor scene replayed but this time Gavin using his claws to compose a letter in blood – Fleur unconsciously brought a hand up to her chest in chilling remembrance. Sometimes she couldn't even separate the memories, all she knew was she woke sweaty, panting, and shaking to an empty chamber.

Caliburn had informed her that Dracula had left with Gavin the morning after her attack and although one would never call her grateful to the Count; the fact that the rebel would soon be taken care of sent a feeling of relief through her. Although the feeling was quickly replaced with a new sense of anxiety when he told her the Count would be returning within a fortnight. Fleur had no doubt he could be just as horrible if not worse than the rebel should he so choose. She could feel her chest tightening when ever the memory of the balcony visit was brought up and although Caliburn had pressed her to talk about; she didn't think she could bear having to relive it if she was forced to tell anyone.

Caliburn had been slightly put off when she blatantly refused and Fleur felt a twinge of suspicion about why he was pursing the issue so much; usually he sensed when she didn't want to speak of things and respected her decision but this time…it was different and Fleur couldn't tell why.

No, she would keep the details of the rebel's visit a secret; no one needed to know the horror of being feed off of, the pain as three-inch long fangs sunk sickeningly into her neck, nor the helpless that assaulted her as she felt the life slowly being drained from her body.

No one needed to know how after he'd finished feeding he'd sat and taunted her in her weakened state as his talon repeatedly cut into her soft flesh as he composed his letter or how he'd whispered sick plans of death in her ear as his eyes flashed with such brutal ambition it scared her.

But most of all, no one needed to hear his detailed plans of how he planned to kill the Count, and bath in his blood as he listened the screams of the high bloods, or what he planned to do to _her_ when the master was gone and how he would be looking forward to hearing her screaming his name – _Julius_. No, no one needed to know, no one would understand, and Fleur was scared to even wonder; _would anyone even care?_ And so it stayed her secret and her secret alone.

**That end bit I added at the last minute so I know there are probably a ton a mistakes in it. I promise I'll have Nienna attack it as soon as I find the energy to send it to her. **

**TEASER TIME::: well, to be honest I don't know where I want to go from here...but that's the way this entire story has been wirtten so I suppose I'll just keep-on and see what happens. I think we may have a suprise when Dracula comes home, maybe a vampire weakness. I may introduce a new character but I'm not totally sure, it seems I already have a lot of my own characters in this story but I do believe every tale needs at least one mischevious character (and no, Gavin does not count as mischevious, he's evil and curious and malicious and unwillingly cold) and I find myself lacking cool female characters (p.s.- I may have Gwen play some kind of role int he future...not sure yet. you may or maynot like her.) PLus what did Drac do with Julius?!? dun-dun-dun-duuuuuun. And I think it's finally time we move the army out...**

**REVIEW PLEASE! EVEN IF IT'S SHORT AND TO THE POINT IT MEANS ALOT TO ME!!!**

**RECORD: 10 **


	19. AUTHOR'S NOTE YOU DO NOT HAVE TO READ!

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**I lied. Now officically on Hiatus.  
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**_I'm sorryyyy. I know I said this 'break' was only going to be temporary but...it's not. I have a lot of stuff going on in my life right now (who doesn't?) and I can really only handle one story at a time - right now I'm focusing on Moonlight Shadows._**

**_�I wanted to say thanks to all those people that check periodically to see if I've updated. It really means a lot. Special thanks to Nighteyess (who gave me a review that really made me feel horrible about not continuing) and Nienna Simarwen (my ex-beta who put a lot of hard work into this story). _**

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**_Contrary to belief, I have not given up on this story. I DO plan on continuing. Just, going back and looking over my story, it's amazing how much better I've gotten in the six-ish month I've been on FanFiction. Truly, it is astonishing; so when I do come back - hopefully you'll be able to see the difference. _**

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**_If you're interested and like my style of writing, my new story is Moonlight Shadows in the Harry Potter catagory. I know some of you are like -ew- Harry Potter, but the Snape/Hermione genre is a suprisingly impressive fandom. I highly recommend it if you like dark, broody heroes (once again, who doesn't?)._**

**_Thanks for reading. I will return. Give me time._**

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**_�_**_ps. - please forgive the random question marks. this new Doc system seems to want to add them in - I don't know why.�_**_  
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